


Herald of the Machine World

by TheWolfParadox



Series: Chasing Fate [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cosmodrome, Earth, Exos, Fantasy, Gen, Ghosts, Guardians - Freeform, Humans, Hunters, Mars, Mercury - Freeform, Mistaken Identity, Original Character(s), Outer Space, Planets, Science Fiction, Secrets, The Black Garden, The Reef, Titans, Vault of Glass, Venus - Freeform, Warlocks, awoken - Freeform, mild betrayal, people jumping to conclusions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-01-04 06:39:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 49,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12163518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWolfParadox/pseuds/TheWolfParadox
Summary: "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?





	1. Prologue

**"Beneath crossed swords, a refuge for peace." - The Tower Grimoire**

* * *

 Cayde-6 shifted restlessly as his eyes roamed over the map in front of him. He rubbed his face. How long had he been standing here? _Too damn long_ , he answered himself. If only he'd known what he'd be getting into before agreeing to the Dare... Now he was stuck in this Traveler-forsaken Tower staring at the same dusty old map every single day of his life.

And the worst part was that neither of his companions seemed bothered by their shared predicament. They both went on with their duties, only pausing whenever a Guardian came in with a report, which didn't happen often.

Cayde gave wind to a dramatic sigh, only to become more irritated at the lack of a response from his fellow Vanguard. The one thing that alleviated his boredom, no matter how temporarily, was listening to his Hunters' recountings of their escapades in the wilds. What he wouldn't give to be out there with them!

Footsteps sounded on the stairs, rushed but not unduly so. It _had_ to be a Guardian - it couldn't be anyone else. He shifted his attention back to the map. "Probably came back with some engrams and a good story to boot! Lucky bastard…" Zavala and Ikora ignored his mutterings, easily tuning them out. They were all too used to it by now.

Cayde listened to the footsteps crossing over to them. He looked up. Sure enough, it was a Guardian, Warlock by the look of it. He watched as the Guardian approached Ikora and snorted. He was about to turn back to the map when he saw the Warlock Vanguard's expression shift from neutral expectation to consternation at whatever news the Guardian had brought. _That_ piqued his interest.

Ikora dismissed the Guardian with a nod. Cayde waited, keeping up his façade of patience until the Guardian left. He knew Ikora would tell them what had transpired, it was their duty to share any concern, no matter how insignificant it may seem. He looked at Zavala. Sure enough, the Titan Vanguard's face was as expectant as Cayde felt. Ikora turned back to them, acknowledging their interest with a nod.

"I've received some troubling news."

Cayde leaned forward, eager for anything that would rescue him from the monotony of his job.

"I'm unsure how concrete this is, but there is a _rumor_ ," she placed emphasis on the word, "That Osiris has returned to Mercury."

While Zavala's reaction was a mere eyebrow raise, Cayde's was at the opposite end of the spectrum. "That's _it_?! 'Suspected Osiris commotion?' With all that buildup, I was expecting something like 'Guess what? The Ahamkara are back.'"

Zavala glared at him. "I'm sorry the news failed to _entertain_ you, Cayde, but regardless of the severity, the matter requires Vanguard attention."

Cayde rolled his eyes. "C'mon Zav! Rumors like that crop up every few years and bring nothin' but trouble with 'em!"

"Nonetheless," interrupted Ikora with a sharp look, "As the Vanguard, we must investigate these rumors, lest they prove true."

Cayde crossed his arms, radiating skepticism as the Warlock and Titan conversed.

"I could appoint one of my Warlocks to look into it," Ikora suggested.

Zavala frowned and shook his head, "No… It would be too risky. Vex activity is still on the rise, and the latest reports suggest nothing has changed... I will not knowingly send our Guardians to their deaths."

Ikora hummed in agreement, tapping her chin. "Perhaps if we sent a fireteam instead of an individual Guardian..."

Cayde sighed, already tired of their back-and-forth. He decided to grace them with his opinion. "Look, if you're really set on this thing, which I'm still not convinced _is_ a thing, then there's no way _any_ Guardian would survive that Vex-infested rock long enough to find _anything_ , much less someone who doesn't _want_ to be found."

Zavala frowned at the Hunter, annoyed. "What would _you_ have us do, Cayde? We cannot allow any threat to the City - no matter how insubstantial - go unchecked."

"Easy. Send a Ghost. Small enough to go undetected - provided it stays away from Mercury's less-than-friendly inhabitants. Plus, not as much to aim at."

"As of now, the Ghosts are occupied with the unending search for new recruits."

Cayde rolled his eyes again. "You and I both know that's bullshit! We haven't had a new Guardian in what? _6_ years? We can _easily_ spare a Ghost for this half-baked mission - it'd be better than sending one of the few Guardians we _do_ have."

Ikora thought it over, nodding. "You...have a point, Cayde. It would be better for Guardians to stay where they are needed most. And we do have more Ghosts than Guardians at our disposal."

Cayde clasped a hand to his chest in exaggerated shock. "You're saying I'm _right_? ...Ikora, I do believe my processors just stopped."

Ikora ignored him, typing away at the screen in front of her. "That settles it. A Ghost will be dispatched in a few minutes."

"And what exactly are we supposed to do in the meantime if this is as big of a threat as you say it is? Sit around and twiddle our thumbs?"

Ikora fixed him with a stare. "We wait," she said, "And we pray to the Traveler that that Ghost doesn't find anything on Mercury."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this is my first attempt at a Destiny story. Reviews are appreciated, especially if you're interested and want to read more. It's good to be writing again. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it :)
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	2. Part One - Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"One face is blistered, the other plunged into a brutal chill. Is this how it's always been?" - Ghost Fragment: Mercury**

* * *

The Ghost strained against the savage winds as she flew over Mercury's desolate surface. It had been 3 weeks since her arrival and she'd barely covered any ground. Mercury may be the smallest planet in the solar system, but it was still ⅓ the size of the Earth and that, combined with the unrelenting wind storms and Vex patrols, made it difficult to get anywhere very fast. What was more, she was unused to being alone for so long that, with no one else to talk to, she'd begun to pick up the habit of conversing with herself. _That won't make me very popular back at the Tower_ , she thought. Then again, this mission would likely take months, if not years to accomplish. _I'll be lucky if I even make it back_.

She could not fathom why the Vanguard would condone such a mission. It was common knowledge that Osiris had not been seen since his exile, nor did it help that no Ghost previously sent to locate him had ever returned. She didn't know how they could expect to receive any news from her when all the others had failed. Still, she knew that it was not her place to question the Guardians' leaders, although it looked like she would never be able to achieve her _true_ purpose.

It had been 6 years since the last Guardian revival, and no one held out the hope that it would resume anytime soon. In that time, Ghosts had become nigh on obsolete, used only for scouting missions and harvesting materials. It was a dramatic fall from where they had once been. The Ghost was reminded of her failure every time she returned to the Tower and witnessed how few Guardians remained. She estimated there to be around only a couple hundred active Guardians in the system. And most had stopped returning to the Tower as their missions had grown longer and increasingly more dangerous.

She sighed to herself as she flew. There used to be so many more. It was said that multiple Towers had been in use before the tragic happenings at Mare Imbrium and Twilight Gap. Now, only one was still functioning. Throughout the following years, the number of Guardians had remained constant for the most part, but now when Guardians fell for the final time - which could still happen if their Ghost was killed or if they died in a Darkness Zone - there were no new recruits coming in to balance it out. No one was certain what had caused the revivals to stop. All anyone knew was that it had happened suddenly and showed no signs of starting up again. The Ghost's shell shivered as she considered the very possible reality of the Guardians becoming extinct. What then would become of the Ghosts? The City and its citizens? They were not thoughts she enjoyed dwelling on, and she swiftly returned her attention to her task.

The Ghost paused in the shelter of a twisted rock formation. She couldn't believe how empty Mercury seemed to be. It had been two long months since the beginning of her mission and there was nothing new to report. She had not seen Osiris, Vex, or any other being for well over a week. Signs of Vex habitation still showed, they had converted the entire _planet_ after all, but none had come into the area where she conducted her search. _And for a good reason, too_ , she thought as she hurled herself back into the brutal force of the sandstorm. It had been brewing for many Earth-days now, although she wasn't completely sure what a day _was_ anymore.

To her, every day seemed an eternity of never-ending wind and sand without the sighting of another presence, machine or not, to comfort her. In days gone by, she could've expected to meet members of the Cult of Osiris and even Guardians here, as both used to have holdings on Mercury. The Cult had its Lighthouse and sometimes the Guardians would hold Crucible matches in places like Caloris Basin, the Fields of Glass, or the Languid Sea. Alas, those had all been abandoned years ago, when Vex activity had begun to increase, which left no one but herself, the Vex, and the rumors of a mad Warlock.

She clicked to herself as she once again began her scan. How she would ever pick up anything in this torrent after _two_ months worth of searching, she wasn't sure. Despite this, she dutifully continued to scan the areas around for any sign of Osiris' presence, humming to herself all the while.

She stopped. _What was-?_ There was something there! A sign, a signal, she didn't know, but something was buried in the sand! Excited at the prospect of a break, she honed in on whatever it was she'd detected. _It's old,_ she noticed. She wasn't sure of its nature, but it seemed to be neither sand nor metal and that in itself was comforting. She expanded her shell to obtain a clearer reading. _Some kind of biological material...if I could only get a better scan…_

She expanded further, stretching her shell to the limit, heedless of the wind and sand whipping around her. All of a sudden, the scan became clear and the Ghost froze in the wake of what she'd discovered.

It was a skeleton...a _human_ skeleton was buried on Mercury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to get the fist real chapter up. I hope you like it. Feedback would be appreciated, reviews are very welcome (hint, hint). 
> 
> P.S. I wrote Mercury the way I pictured it. It's fine if you don't agree. 
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	3. Part Two - Revival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"This was our world, our solar system. We were here first. And no matter what the darkness brings, we will be here at dawn." - Grimoire of the Humans**

* * *

 

The Ghost's shell whirled about as she processed the implications of her breakthrough. She, as well as others, knew that aside from those previously mentioned few, no one had been on Mercury since the Dark Age after the Collapse. Of course, there hadn't been many people left on Mercury at the time, as what remained of humanity had abandoned it in their search for the Traveler. _Perhaps I've discovered the remains of one who'd been left behind?_

She scanned the bones once more but was unable to ascertain the length of time they'd been in the ground. It must have been a while because most of them had crumbled and broken down. What surprised her though, was the amount of Light present. Ever since she'd landed on the tempestuous planet, she hadn't come into contact with any Light outside of her own. This was something she'd expected, seeing as Mercury's only occupants were creatures of the Dark, but after going so long without the Light's touch, the Light radiating from the old bones felt to her like a warm breeze breaking through winter's shell.

She basked in the feeling for a few short moments while she considered what she should do next. On one hand, she'd always been told that her one true function was to locate her Guardian and when the time came for a revival, she would just _know_. _But this might mean nothing for all I know. It could be that I'm just glad of the Light's comfort._ She wished there was someone else to advise her, but she knew that even if there had been, the decision would have still rested with her and her alone. _We haven't had a new Guardian in so long,_ she thought _, Maybe the time has come for it to happen again._ Deep down, she was aware that she was only stalling on behalf of herself. Thoughts of doubt plagued her. _What if I can't revive them at all? What if I_ do _revive them but they end up dead anyway? How would a new Guardian survive on Mercury, the planet of machines? What if I mess up and the Tower found out? I'd be known as the Ghost that caused the Guardians' extinction... Stop it!_ she scolded, _The only question you need to be asking yourself is 'Does this soul deserve another chance?'_ The Ghost bobbed up and down slightly. "Any person with this much Light left deserves a second chance. I will do it."

She set to her task with a fevered determination. Now that her mind was made up, she resolved to remain steadfast in her choice. "I will give this soul another chance or die in the process," she said grimly, even though she knew that no Ghost had ever died in such a way, or if it was even possible _to_ die from it.

After taking a moment to steel herself, she expanded her shell and called upon the Light that resided in the bones of her future Guardian, elevating them to the surface. "Now the tricky part…" She gathered the Light and spread it, intertwined with her own, throughout the body until, satisfied, she closed her shell and retreated to a few feet away. Whirring with anticipation, she felt the Light grow stronger, glowing brighter and brighter until it blotted out everything else around her. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the glow faded, leaving the Guardian's newly restored body resting on Mercury's barren terrain.

Shell trembling in excitement, the Ghost moved forward. "Guardian?" she asked tentatively. No response. "Guardian. Wake up!" Nothing. "Guardian!" There! A movement! It wasn't much, just a twitch of the fingers, but it told the Ghost that yes, the revival had worked. She raised her voice a bit more. "Hey! Guardian!" The figure sat up with a jolt, more of a gut-reaction than anything else. "Eyes up, Guardian."

The Guardian's head jerked up and around before facing her. "Wh-what? Where-?"

"You're alive!" the Ghost chirped, doing a little flip in the air. She noted that the Guardian was male and watched as he unsteadily got to his feet.

"What...what _are_ you?"

"I'm a Ghost! Well, _your_ Ghost now."

"A...Ghost?"

"Yep! And _you_ are a Guardian."

"What's a Guardian?!" he glanced wildly around at the Mercurian landscape, "Where am I?!"

The Ghost decided to answer the easier of the two questions. "You are on Mercury."

" _What_?!"

She sighed. "Look, I know this is weird and a little terrifying, but...you've been dead for some time and...Let's just say you'll see a lot of stuff that won't really make sense." The Guardian seemed to notice that he was clad in armor. She watched as he stared at his gloved hands before reaching up to feel his helmet.

"What is this stuff?"

"When I found you, there was nothing left except, well...you know...bones. So I made you some armor."

"You can do that?"

"Yep.

I had materials in storage from before I left, so I used those in addition to your Light to fabricate armor." "...I think I understood _some_ of that?" The Guardian's hands reached up to feel his helmet again. "Can-is it ok if I take this off?"

The Ghost nodded. "Should be. Just don't look directly at the Sun. The Vex tech makes it less bright and hot around here, but I'd rather you didn't go blind."

After hesitating a moment as if to make sure she was serious, the Guardian removed his helmet. The Ghost's first impression of him was...young. He was by no means a teenager, but he was also a good few years younger than the average Guardian. His face possessed a slight tan that complimented his dark green eyes. His jaw was sharp, but still carried with it a hint of youth which, when paired with his boyish haircut, made him seem even younger.

He watched the Ghost as she observed him. He still looked a little leery of her. _That's expected, though, after what he's been through._ Finally, he dropped his gaze, instead turning it to the unfamiliar environment surrounding him. "Be honest. Is this _really_ Mercury?"

"Affirmative. You're standing on the smallest, second densest planet in the solar system."

His face drained of color. "H-how...how is that possible?"

The Ghost clicked at him, puzzled. "The Traveler made it possible centuries ago," she said, "...Have you not heard of the Traveler?" He shook his head, but the confusion in his eyes had been answer enough. Taken aback, the Ghost started muttering to herself. "That shouldn't happen. The Traveler has been known to humanity since the Golden Age…" She looked at her Guardian. Although he could not see it, she was concerned. "Guardian...what is your name?"

He frowned at her and opened his mouth, seemingly about to reply, when he stopped cold. The Ghost saw his eyes flick frantically back and forth as he tried to recall his own name. The Ghost gave a sad mechanical sigh and was about to address him again, when his eyes lit up. "I remember!" he said, "...My name is Harley. Harley...Hayden."

 _Thank the Traveler!_ "Ok, Harley. Where do you come from?"

"I...have no idea," he said helplessly, "I can't remember anything else. It's like my mind's been wiped clean… Weird. I still know how to speak English…We _are_ speaking English right?"

"Yes. This is English."

"That's good. Haven't lost everything entirely… But I asked you how this could be Mercury earlier…"

"Yes. You did ask me that. And the only reason I haven't answered was because I assumed you at least had some basic knowledge of the events of the past."

"Well, clearly I don't, so if we could get to the part about how I'm standing on the closest planet to the Sun, that'd be just dandy."

 _Wonderful. He has an attitude._ "Very well. I'll tell you, but we should find somewhere where you can sit down...It's a very long story." _Although Traveler knows I have all the time I need..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had some extra time this weekend, so I decided to get another part done. The next update might take some more time as I'm really busy right now. In the meantime, leave a review telling me what you think. I don't really know what you guys think of this story, so I'd love to hear it. :)
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	4. Part Three - Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"It is not enough to defend the City. We must reclaim the stars." - Grimoire of the Guardian Ships**

* * *

Harley's fingers came up to massage his temples. He felt as though his brain was trying to vacate his body by splitting his skull in half. Over the few hours he and his Ghost had been talking, he'd learned so much about how the solar system had changed. It was mind-boggling to say the least. He found his feelings difficult to describe. His perspective had been altered so much, he felt like he'd have to turn his brain inside out to understand it. He wanted to curl up into a ball and dissolve in the harsh Mercurian climate. _I was_ dead _just a couple hours ago! Dead! And now I'm expected to become some...some_ warrior _of the Light?_ Harley was pretty sure he still didn't get the whole Light/Dark thing. As far as he could tell, there was something called the Traveler that had used Light to do really cool stuff until something called the Darkness came and basically shut it down. And this Darkness, or whatever it was, was a _whole other_ bag of crazy. He couldn't tell if it was a being, a force, or just a manifestation of evilness.

He looked up at his Ghost, who hovered next to him. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but was that everything?"

She laughed. "Far from it. I've only told you what you need to know for the time being. We can leave the other stuff for later."

Harley sagged in relief. He knew there was no way he could handle any more new information. _I've only just been revived! And the only thing I knew was my name!_ Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure it was _his_ name. When his Ghost asked him his name, he'd searched for a frighteningly long time before the name 'Harley Hayden' had popped into his head.

"Harley? Mercury to Harley?" He looked up. His Ghost blinked at him. "Good to have you back. Anyway, assuming you don't have any more questions, we should probably get moving. It's not safe to stay in one place too long...we _are_ on the Vex's home turf after all."

Harley nodded weakly, standing up. He picked up his helmet but made no move to put it on.

This was not lost on the Ghost. "Um, you might want to wear that. We'll be walking through sandstorms most of the time."

"I don't-um...it feels a bit...constricting y'know. Like I can't breathe."

The Ghost decided to ignore the irony of this statement. "Okay, well...let me see what I can do." Harley held out the helmet as she scanned it and began transmatting parts. Finally, she was done. "There," she said, satisfied, "It may not be safe for space travel, but it will work for Mercury until you get used to a full helmet." The helmet looked more like a half-helmet now. It still covered most of the head and had the eye-shield to protect Harley's eyes, but the parts covering the nose and mouth were gone.

Harley inspected it. "This'll do. Thanks...uh, what's your name?"

The Ghost lifted the sides of her shell in the approximation of a shrug. "Ghosts are usually named by their Guardians, but until then, you can call me either A-6 or just 'Ghost.'" Harley nodded, filing this information away for later. She gave him a look. "And as long as we're traveling on Mercury, I recommend you wear _something_ to cover the bottom half of your face unless you want to be swallowing sand."

Harley nodded, then looked down at his armor for anything he could use. Finding nothing, he looked at his Ghost. "Uh, do you think you could, I dunno, _create_ something for me to use?"

The Ghost nodded. After a few moments, a plain square of fabric fell into Harley's hand. "Thanks." He looked at it, considering, then folded it diagonally and tied it at the back of his head, leaving the triangle part to cover his face. He put on his helmet. "Ok, ready."

"Right. Let's go." Together, the Guardian and Ghost left the shelter of the rocks and strode off to face Mercury's bleak environment.

The Ghost looked at the blurred figure next to her and refrained from doing another flip. _I did it! I found a Guardian! And not just any Guardian, but the_ first _Guardian found in 6 years!_ She'd never felt happier in all the years she'd been a Ghost. She'd done what she'd been created to do. She'd fulfilled her purpose! However, she was also aware of the hard, cold truths that reality forced upon her, as though to combat these thoughts. _How will I ever get him back to the Tower?_

The ship that had dropped her off had left immediately, refusing to remain on Mercury a second longer than necessary. She had no idea when it would return. Probably not for a few years at least. It wasn't as if she was needed at the Tower, her only objective was to investigate the rumors of Osiris on Mercury.

She cast a look at her Guardian. He stalked forward with unwavering determination, heedless of the sand-filled winds pressing him back. _How will he survive out here?_ The Ghost had neither food nor water with her, and while she knew his Light could sustain him, it would not last long without the Traveler or other Light sources nearby. And she had nowhere _near_ enough supplies to build a ship - she'd used up almost all of her stored materials on Harley's armor. _Our only chance is to_ find _a ship_ . She knew that hope was slim. Any ships that had been on Mercury had been taken when it was abandoned by the Cult. And any that were there before were ancient before she was created, deserted during the Collapse and left to deteriorate. She flicked another worried glance at Harley. _I'm going to have to tell him soon. I know I wouldn't want anything like this kept from me._ Yes, she would tell him. All that remained was waiting for the opportunity to present itself. And present itself it did.

They stopped upon finding another decently-sized rock formation. Sitting down behind it, Harley looked at his Ghost. "We'll rest here for awhile," she said, "It'll do you good to get some sleep."

The hint of a smirk played across his face. "Isn't night yet, though."

"Believe me, you don't want to wait for night. Mercury may revolve quickly, but it rotates slowly. The day-night cycle here takes around 179 Earth days. That means there's about 3 months of daylight, followed by 3 months of night."

Harley's eyes widened. "No way. You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. When I arrived, Mercury was at the end of its night cycle. That means we have another month before the day cycle ends."

"You've been here for two _months_?"

"Yep. I was sent on a mission by the Vanguard...which kind of factors in to what I'm about to tell you. But you might want to prepare yourself, because you won't like it." "

 _That_ doesn't sound foreboding at all," Harley muttered. He removed his helmet and pushed his face-covering down. "Hit me."

"Very well," said his Ghost, "When I was dropped off, it was with the understanding that I'd be here for a long time. The exact nature of my mission isn't important right now, but it was expected to take a long time to complete."

Harley's face didn't change, but a hint of apprehension crept into his eyes. "Yeah, ok...and?"

"Basically, they won't send a ship back here for at least a year, maybe two."

Harley tried to ignore the dread pressing down on him. "So you're saying that we can't get off this rock," he said, staring at the ground.

"...Yes. I'm afraid we're both stuck here." She paused, as though expecting an outburst. But Harley only pushed his hands into his hair and clenched his fists. He sat like that for several minutes before she decided to break the silence. "...Harley?"

He removed his hands and sat up, glancing at her. "Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine. It's fine." Ghosts don't have expressions, but he got the impression that she didn't believe him. He took a breath to keep his voice from faltering. "Look...Can't we _find_ a ship somewhere. I mean, there _has_ to be at least one ship on this God-forsaken planet."

His Ghost sighed. "I don't know," she said truthfully, "Mercury was vacated long before it was taken by the Vex. Then no one came here until the Cult of Osiris built their Lighthouse and Lord Shaxx set up Crucible matches. But after Vex activity increased some years ago, they also abandoned it. To my knowledge, no one has been here since."

It was a few moments before Harley responded. "Aside from the fact that I understood almost nothing of what you said, could any ships have been left behind?"

"It _is_ a possibility, but I wouldn't get your hopes up. Any ships left here would be unusable and probably buried by the sandstorms."

"But you said there're other things here!" Harley's tone was verging on desperate, "Those Vex things! They gotta have ships of their own, right?"

His Ghost blinked. She'd never considered that, but she was pretty sure that machines with the ability to _teleport_ didn't need ships of any kind. Still, she didn't want to crush her Guardian's hopes completely. "Even if they did, any ships would be under tight security and there's no way a brand-new Guardian would be able to take on that many Vex."

"Can't they be killed?"

"Yes, but that isn't the issue. In case you haven't noticed, you have _no_ weapons and barely any idea of what you're doing!" She stopped in her tracks, seemingly taken aback. "That came out harsher than it was meant to," she said apologetically, "But it is no less true. You aren't ready to face the Vex."

"But what if it's just one or two at a time?" suggested Harley, "If I killed one, I could take its weapon. Then I wouldn't be defenseless. And here's a thought: if the Vex are machines, we could scavenge parts. That way, if we find a ship, we can repair it."

The Ghost was silent for a moment. "You know...that _might_ just work."

Harley grinned. "Great. It's settled. We'll find a ship, ambush some Vex, and get the hell off this planet!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had some extra time today, so I decided to get another chapter out of the way. Let me know what you think! :)
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	5. Part Four - Pressure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"They've done more good than harm. By most calculations." - Grimoire of the City Factions**

* * *

Cayde stared at the table in front of him, mentally battling the urge to slam his face into it. Tensions in the Tower had started rising over the past month, specifically between the factions. The Vanguard had managed to keep them in check for some time, but with the anxiety that the cessation of revivals caused building every day, they could no longer keep the factions silent. They were at each other's throats.

Each one had a different opinion on what should be done about the lack of Guardians. New Monarchy believed that the Guardians should be pulled back to the City to strengthen the defenses so better focused could be placed on reclaiming the former glory of the Golden Age. Future War Cult pressed the opinion that the Guardians should start recruiting citizens from the City to fight the Darkness because while the Guardians were dwindling, "There are still those within these walls who will fight for our cause." Then there was Dead Orbit, who took the decline of Guardians as the ultimate sign that it was time to abandon Earth and seek new refuge amongst the stars. They'd already had little faith in the City's ability to withstand the Darkness, so to them, the Guardians' deterioration was proof that they had been right all along.

The Vanguard were under pressure from all sides. Each day was part of a constant struggle for a middle ground that had so far eluded them. As Cayde stood there listening to Ikora and Zavala blather on about the factions, his mind drifted back to the Ghost they'd sent to Mercury to check up on Osiris rumors. _Wonder if it's found anything yet?_ He thought it was kinda stupid, leaving the Ghost up there without the means to communicate with the Tower. He shrugged. _I suppose if there's anythin' urgent, it can send out a distress beacon._ Still, seemed cruel to just _leave_ it there. He'd tried arguing, asking for a pickup sooner than two years, but had been shot down. _Get over it!_ he told himself, _Might be some wisdom in it. After all, it'll take some time to check._ He sighed. More than anything, he wanted to be back out in the field. _How did I let Andal trick me into this?_

Even his entertainment was being taken away, as Guardians stayed away on longer and longer missions, fighting the good fight. Cayde wanted to punch the table. Was it his fate to laze about here even while fewer Guardians returned from each mission? He stifled a bitter laugh. _So this is what it'll come to, the Vanguards sittin' safe in their tower while their warriors die and diminish day by day?_ He was brought suddenly out of his thoughts by Ikora asking his opinion.

"...do it that way. What do you think, Cayde?"

He looked up, exaggerating his motion to show them he hadn't been listening. "Y'know what I think? I think it's high time I clock out for the night." He sauntered towards the stairs. "Good work today team! You should all be proud!" He smirked at the sound of Zavala's reprimands as he strode up the stairs to his freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick peek back to see what the Vanguard were up to. Sorry if it was kinda short. More later this week. Reviews appreciated!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	6. Part Five - Machines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Living metal. Incomprehensible intelligence." - Grimoire of the Vex**

* * *

 

Harley took a deep breath as he crouched behind a boulder. He listened to the whirrs and clicks of the Vex Goblins as they moved steadily closer to his hiding place. He had been on Mercury for three weeks since his revival now, each Earth-day marked by his Ghost, whom he'd decided to name Prism.

Currently, she was nowhere to be seen. She'd said something about joining her Light with his, then disappeared. He could still speak to her though and hear her reply. She'd altered his helmet again, giving it a HUD. With it, he could track the Vex's movements. They were moving closer still.

 _Have I been seen?_ He hoped not. After weeks of nothing but sand and rock, this was the first Vex patrol they'd come across. _If we're getting closer to Vex civilization, I don't want these three sounding the alarm._ He looked down at his chosen weapon: a pointed rock. "...Prism, I don't like my odds of killing them before they warn others," he whispered.

"You'll be fine," her mechanical voice reassured, "Remember, don't aim for the head. The Vex's weak point is their abdomen."

"How will I know what to aim at?"

"You can't miss it. Just aim for the white spot."

He nodded. "Gotcha... White spot." He checked his proximity detector. They were almost upon him. Before they had the chance to see him, he sprang out, rock at the ready. Immediately, he noticed the spots Prism had told him to aim for - a glowing white area just below their chests. Moving as fast as he could, he grabbed the first Goblin's gun arm and jabbed his rock as hard as he could into its abdomen. It collapsed instantly, a whitish-blue fluid coating the ground. Harley swiveled to the left, grabbed the Goblin's gun and shot at the other two. He hit the second one right on the mark, sending it crashing to the ground. However, he missed the third one's abdomen, instead taking its head off. To his astonishment, the Goblin continued to head straight for him, gun firing wildly. He dodged it and, in the same agile motion, buried the nose of the gun in its abdomen. He came to a halt, breathing hard.

With a small beeping noise, Prism appeared in front of him. "Well done," she said.

Pulling down his kerchief, he grinned. "Think any of 'em had time to sound the alarm."

"I doubt it," Prism said dryly.

"Good. One less thing to worry about... Any parts we can scavenge?"

"I'll take a look." She scanned the Vex bodies several times before returning to his side. "Alright. I've gathered all the useful pieces I could find."

Harley nodded. "Are we still on the right trajectory to find that ship?"

A few days ago, Prism had come across a blip on her scanners that read like a ship. That was what they'd been making for before encountering the Vex patrol that now lay dead on the ground.

"Yes, we should be coming up on it soon."

Harley pulled up his kerchief again. "Reckon we'd better get going then."

* * *

Prism clicked to herself as she scanned the ship. It wasn't any design she was familiar with. The closest thing it resembled was one of the Kestrel models. She hoped they'd be able to repair it.

As if he'd read her thoughts, Harley asked the same question. "Think we can fix it?"

She hesitated, torn between optimism and realism. "I won't be able to do anything until it's out of the sand."

"But you _can_ do it right?"

"...There's a good possibility," she said carefully, "But it's incredibly weatherworn from what I've seen, and I haven't even seen the whole thing."

"How're we gonna get it out?"

"I'll think of something. It's a good thing we aren't on Mars, though. Mars has a _lot_ more sand than Mercury."

"What can I do?"

She turned to face him. "You can start clearing away the sand. We need more of it exposed if there's any hopes of repairing it."

"Won't the sandstorms just undo everything I clear?"

"No. The only reason it's buried is because this ship has sat here for _decades_ , maybe even centuries. It might feel like there's a lot of sand in the sandstorms, but really there's much less than you'd think."

Harley nodded cautiously, not quite believing her. "Well, I guess the ship won't unbury itself," he said finally, "Let's get to work."

* * *

It took Harley several hours to clear the sand off the ship's surface and even then, one wing remained stuck in the sand. He was resting nearby with his back to a rock, helmet and kerchief off.

Prism flew over from where she'd been conducting more scans. "I've been able to get a more accurate idea of the ship's design. Nothing in depth," she said, "Of course, we'll have to finish uncovering the wing before we start repairs."

"I got it." Harley made to get back up but was stopped by Prism. "Leave it for now. You won't be good for anything until you get some rest."

 _She sounds worried about something_. "What's wrong?"

"Hm? Oh, well...do you see that?" She nodded towards Mercury's horizon.

Harley glanced over. At first, he couldn't tell what she meant, but the longer he looked, the clearer it became. The Sun sat much lower on the horizon than before. The shadows were long and the air felt a bit colder now that he thought about it.

"Mercury is passing into its night-cycle," Prism said gravely.

"Oh." Harley remembered _that_ conversation.

"Soon everything on this half of the planet will be cast into darkness," his Ghost said, "And it will stay like that for three months."

Harley's mouth set in a line of grim determination. "Then we'd better move fast. Wake me up in a few hours and I'll finish clearing that wing."

* * *

Harley woke to a persistent beeping in his ear. Remembering where he was, he flung his arm over his head, rolling to the side. He looked up, expecting to be surrounded by Vex Goblins, but was met instead with the sight of Prism rising from the ground, shaking herself to clear out the sand.

"If that's what you're like when I wake you up...you're going to be late a lot."

Harley grinned sheepishly, standing up. "Sorry," he said, "Sleeping on Mercury has made me kinda edgy."

"More like paranoid," his Ghost muttered.

He decided to ignore her. "Any developments?"

"Nothing so far. It was an oddly peaceful five hours. Even the sandstorm seems to be lessening."

"Good. Make it easier to clear the wing." He strolled over to examine the ship. "Well, there's definitely one major repair that'll have to be done."

Prism floated over. "What's that?"

"Needs a new paint job." She gave him her best eye roll. "Just sayin'...Anyway, let's see what we've got."

It took him just under an hour to get the other wing cleared. Once all the sand had been removed, Harley groaned in dismay. The wing was utterly _shredded._ Larger amounts of metal were missing there than anywhere else, not to mention any internal mechanisms. "Fan-freakin-tastic...Prism, how long'll it take to find replacement parts?"

"Hmm...Hard to say." She scanned the wing. "Luckily, it seems like the only parts we _really_ need are metal plates. The other stuff might _help_ , but it's the plating that will have to get us through space at warp speed." "

 _Great_. Where the hell are we gonna find that?"

"Well, for once I'd say we're lucky to be stuck on a planet belonging to the Vex. We should be able to get the parts we need from them."

Harley sighed. "How many more am I gonna have to kill?"

"...Based on the parts I got from those other three, I estimate it to be upwards of 40." Harley's aggrieved look got him no sympathy. "Look, it's either kill some Vex, or be stuck on this planet for a whole lot longer."

He sighed, knowing she was right. "Fine. Where're the nearest Vex?"

She paused for a moment. "There looks to be a squadron about 3 klicks east of here."

"Wonderful, let's go." Harley put on his kerchief and helmet, and slung his Vex gun across his back before striding off.

* * *

"What have I gotten myself into?" Harley bemoaned as he ducked behind a spire to avoid getting shot. They'd found the Vex alright, only there had been a lot more than Prism's appraisal. He'd taken out two Goblins and was feeling very accomplished when a sudden attack from the side had forced him to run for cover. "What's shooting at me?!"

"It seems you're being targeted by a Hobgoblin, but that's not the worst of it."

"Surprise, surprise. What's the worst?"

"Apparently it's called for reinforcements."

Harley leaned out, taking two more shots at the Hobgoblin before ducking back. "Where are they? That guy's the only one out there." Suddenly, his proximity detector lit up like a flare gun, showing enemies on all sides. He spun and saw clouds of grey smoke as the Vex warped in behind him. "Shit! We're surrounded!"

As the smoke cleared, he spotted three Goblins advancing on his position. He fired, but failed at hitting their weak points. "Damnit!" He dodged their fire, shooting again, and managed to bring down two before his gun started making clicking noises. Cursing louder, he drove the butt of the gun into the last Goblin, grabbing its weapon as it went down. His PD flashed again, and he whirled around. Approaching him from around his former hiding place were five more Vex. Two were Goblins and two were Hobgoblins, but there was another that he didn't recognize.

"That's a Minotaur!" Prism's alarmed voice sounded in his ear. "You need to find cover quick!"

Looking to his left, Harley saw another spire. As fast as he could, he dashed towards it, shooting at the Vex as he went. He pressed himself against it, out of the range of their fire.

"Might I suggest taking down the Goblins first so you can focus on the others uninterrupted?"

"Yeah, cuz I was thinking of _not_ doing that," Harley muttered, "Well...here goes nothing."

He edged out, taking time to aim his weapon right at their weak spots. _Bang! Zap!_ Both Goblins went down in a white splatter. Grimacing, Harley swiveled to face the Hobgoblins. He took down the first in one shot, but only grazed the second. Instantly, it dropped into a crouch, radiating an aura of golden energy. Harley shot at it two more times, hoping to bring it down while it was defenseless, only to be surprised when both shots deflected. "What the hell?!"

"It's projecting a Solar Shield!" said Prism, "Wait for it to get back up!"

A couple seconds later, the Hobgoblin rose and Harley took his chance. _Blam!_ It was down. _That leaves only the Minotaur..._ Harley couldn't see it anywhere. He leaned out further. The Minotaur was nowhere in sight. "Where'd it-" A huge force slammed into him from the side, followed by a metallic screech. Harley was knocked onto his back. " _Shit!_ " He reached for his gun, only to discover that it had been flung some distance away. _That thing is gigantic!_ The Minotaur's red eye glared at him as it readied its weapon. As he backed toward his gun, Harley noticed that its whole body was glinting with a purple light. "Why's it shimmering?"

"It has a Void Shield. You'll have to break through if you want to kill it."

The Minotaur took aim. Harley closed his eyes and looked away, knowing he was about to be obliterated, when his fingers closed around his gun. Eyes flying open, he rolled to the side. The ground shook under him as the Minotaur's projectile hit, leaving a scorch mark. Swinging his gun around, Harley shot at its stomach. Unsurprisingly, the shots didn't land. Harley cursed and started thinking up a Plan B when Prism interrupted.

"You're weakening its shield! Keep doing what you're doing!"

Jaw set, Harley got off three more shots before he had to roll to the side again to avoid the next missile of purple energy. Upon the impact of his next shot, the Minotaur's shield went down. "Finally!" His final shot sent it crashing to the ground.

"Good job!" said Prism, appearing next to him, "You got them all!"

"Damn straight!" said Harley, trying to regulate his breathing, "Got some decent parts, too."

The Ghost gave an agreeable beep. "My only worry is that they've alerted others to your presence here."

Harley's face fell. "What exactly does that mean?"

"It means that an entire planet's worth of Vex now know that a Guardian is on their homeworld... I can't imagine they'll be too thrilled."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to everyone who commented/left kudos! Your support means a lot. It might be a little while before the next chapter, so feel free to leave more comments in the meantime. Feedback is always appreciated :)
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	7. Part Six - Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Our shots dissolved in the translucent matrix around it, useless." - Grimoire of the Hydra**

* * *

Harley untied his kerchief from around his neck and used it to wipe the sweat from his face. It had been four weeks since he'd killed the Minotaur and helped Prism get the parts back to the ship. He glanced towards the horizon, where the image of the Sun used to loom over them. Harley sighed. He'd been on Mercury for two months now. Granted, he did have a few things to show for it. The ship was almost complete. Its inner workings had been almost entirely repaired and the gaps in the outer plating were now filled with the shiny bronze of the Vex. Harley felt proud whenever he looked at it, illuminated as it was by the light of his Ghost. He was aware that Prism had done all the internal repairs, but he'd done the plating by himself with his own two hands. Not to mention the fact that he'd also made himself some better armor. He definitely felt a lot more secure now, even with all of Mercury's inhabitants out looking for him. He was lucky Prism had managed to prevent them from picking him up with their scanners. It made hiding a whole lot easier. He looked over to the Ghost, who was busy scanning the ship. "How much left?"

She stopped scanning and hovered over. "A few more plates for the wing...But that's not the big issue."

Harley sighed. "What is it now?"

"The warp drive was damaged in our last...encounter with the Vex."

"Ok...On a scale of 1-10, how badly do we need it?"

Prism sighed. "Off the chart, I'm afraid. Without a warp drive, there's no way we're getting off this planet."

"...And you can't fix it?"

She shook her head sadly. "My repair skills aren't precise enough."

Harley ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of a way out of their situation. "Actually...there might be one way." He looked up. "Well, what is it then?"

"You know how the Vex can teleport?"

"Yeah, I think I _might_ have picked up on that," said Harley dryly, "What about it?"

"If we could get our hands on the mechanism that allows for that, I _might_ be able to fix the warp drive."

"Great! Let's go!"

"Hold on!" said Prism, "This is different. You can't just go up and steal the head off any old Goblin. This will require something bigger."

Harley snorted. "So? I'll just find a Minotaur."

"No. That won't work either...You're going to have to kill a Hydra."

* * *

Harley sighed as he crept down a hallway. "Can't believe I'm doing this."

"You'd better believe it. We aren't getting off this planet otherwise."

He stopped, peering around a corner. "...I think we found it."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure," he said sardonically, "Unless there's another Vex that looks like a massive robotic centipede and carries a floating shield."

"Nope. That's the one."

"Great." He took a step forward.

"Wait!" said Prism, "Hydra are rarely alone."

Harley checked again and cursed. "You're right. There's two Minotaurs and three Hobgoblins."

"I suggest we formulate a plan of attack." Harley got up and turned the corner. "...Or we could just rush in head first. Either way."

The Hobgoblins went down in three easy shots. Delighted with the progress he'd made, Harley got a bit too cocky with one of the Minotaurs. Groaning, he pushed himself up off the wall and took it down with a shot to the abdomen. He was more cautious with the second and managed to kill it without undue difficulty before crouching behind a metal crate. "Alright...now for the big guy." He switched out his gun and prepared to take the shot. The Hydra's weak point was in the center of its head, unlike the other Vex, and was protected by its shield half the time.

Prism spoke in his ear. "Ok, it's rotating. Get ready to shoot in 3..2..1."

Harley fired, hitting the Hydra right in the weak spot. He cursed when it didn't die. "Must have tougher armor than the others." He aimed again but had to duck down to avoid the Hydra's returning fire. Peeking out again, he noticed that the shield had come back around. "Damnit. Prism, tell me when the shield's gone."

"Sure... It's halfway there...a bit more... _now_! Go now!"

Harley jumped up, sending his next two shots straight into the giant Vex's face. He cheered as it fell to the ground, it's shield disappearing. "Let's see what we got." He strode over to the Hydra, Prism at his shoulder. "Damn this thing is _huge_." He estimated it to be two or three times his own size.

Prism scanned it. "It has the parts we need...I took them, but you might want to take some of the plating."

"Nah. Looks pretty heavy. I'll stick with the Minotaur plates." Approaching the body of the first Minotaur, he extracted his knife and began slicing the plating off. The knife was nothing more than a shorn-off piece of metal that had been sharpened and wrapped with wire to form a hilt. It was crude but efficient, and Harley was finished within a few minutes. "Alright. Let's get back to the ship."

* * *

Harley sat on the wing, hammering one of the new plates into shape as Prism worked to repair the damaged warp drive. He paused to wipe the sweat from his brow. The wing was almost complete. He only needed to install two more plates and then they'd hopefully be airborne. He glanced over at his Ghost. "Everything going ok?"

"Yes. I think it's coming together." Her reply was a tad stressed, a fact not lost on Harley. "How about you?"

"Yup. S'all good over here. Just a couple more to go." He turned back to his work. Time seemed to flow more fluidly on Mercury. Often over the past few weeks, Harley had found himself finishing things seemingly a few minutes after he started. _Guess that's what being alone does to ya._ He felt sorry for Prism. She'd been on Mercury twice as long. _I guess the physical discomfort evens us out though._ It was a peculiar feeling, not having to eat or drink, being sustained by his Light alone. And it was getting harder. He didn't want to alarm his Ghost by telling her, but he'd begun to feel more and more tired with each passing day. And the physical exertion of dragging Vex parts around hadn't helped. _Still, we'll be off this planet soon_ , he reminded himself, _Then I won't have to worry about it._ He wiped his forehead again. _It's a bit weird that I'm feeling this hot when there's no Sun_. He had noticed the steady drop in temperature in the days following the Sun's disappearance, and with all the work he'd been doing, it hadn't bothered him as much. _But it_ should _be bothering me now..._ He put the thought out of his mind. _Eh. I'm more annoyed that there's no light, to be honest._

While he wore his helmet, he was granted night vision, but for the times when they worked on the ship, Prism had wired up some Vex heads to provide light. _Kinda sucks that it's red, but at least I can see what I'm doing._ Harley finished fixing the next plate into place, and sat back, taking a break. _Yup. This's definitely a lot harder than it was last week._ He looked up at the sky. One benefit of the Sun being gone was the number of stars that could be seen. _Huh... Haven't thought about it before, but ever since I woke up, the Sun's been there... Until_ now _. Kinda weird, when I think about it._ Suddenly, he felt the odd tingling sensation of hairs rising on the back of his neck. _Like I'm being watched..._

He turned, trying to see if anyone was there. _Well, I don't_ see _anybody... Wait!_ As he looked out into the darkness, past the glow of the Goblin heads, he reckoned he saw something move. A flicker on the edge of his vision. "What the..." He was concentrating so intently on trying to see, that he didn't notice Prism float over to him.

"What's going on?"

"Gah!" Harley jumped, his whole body flinching away.

"Sorry," said the Ghost, not sounding very sorry.

Harley put a hand on his chest, feeling his racing heart. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Just thought I saw something..."

She was silent for a moment. "Nothing's showing up on my scanners...You must be imagining things. Maybe you should get some sleep."

He waved her off. "Nah. Only got one more... How's that warp drive?"

"Actually, it's better than I hoped for. After a few more adjustments, there's a good chance we'll be out of here."

Harley started to position the final plate. "Music to my ears... I can't wait to get off this rock for good."

"Same here... I guess I'll get back to fixing that warp drive."

* * *

The next thing Harley was aware of was waking up on the wing of the ship with Prism hovering over him. He groaned and hopped down. "How long was I out?"

"You were asleep for four hours and seventeen minutes."

Harley looked at the wing. "Least I finished the plating."

Prism's tone was dry when she replied. "Indeed."

"So...did you manage to fix the warp drive?"

The Ghost sighed. "I did everything I could. We'll just have to see if it works."

Harley clapped his hands together. "Well, the sooner, the better!" He walked over to the cockpit. "Uh, how do you open this thing?"

Prism sighed again and floated over. A whitish-blue beam shot out.

"What're you doing?"

"I'm reprogramming the ship to work with transmats. Hold on." A few minutes later, she stopped. "Done. Now I can transmat you into the ship. Hold still."

Harley's eyes widened as he was enveloped by a white light. When it cleared, he found himself sitting in the cockpit. "Whoa. Headrush..." He looked at the ship's interior. "Looks pretty good. Almost can't tell it's been sitting on a Vex rock for centuries. Nice work, Prism."

"Thanks... I don't suppose you know how to fly a ship."

"... Actually, I'm not sure. Some of this stuff looks kinda familiar... One way to find out!" Before Prism could stop him, Harley flipped a switch. He heard the engines roar to life and grinned. "Alright! Let's do this!" He flipped some more switches and pressed some buttons.

To Prism's surprise, the ship slowly began to rise off the ground. "Where'd you learn to fly?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Musta done it before I was dead... Let's see what this baby can do!"

"Uh-uh," said Prism. She took control and brought the ship back down, before shutting the engines off and transmatting them both back to the ground.

"C'mon!" said Harley, "I was gonna practice my skills!"

"Not yet you aren't. Keep in mind that this ship is supposed to get us back to Earth and it can't do that if we use up the fuel doing stupid stunts."

Harley gave a heavy sigh. "Fine... As long as you let me fly back."

Prism thought this over. He _seemed_ skilled enough to pilot in the atmosphere, and there wasn't really any need for actual piloting while flying at warp speedâ€¦ "Very well."

"Score!" Harley did a fist pump. The Ghost shook her head. In truth, his antics amused her. She'd never seen him so excited. _Of course you haven't. He's been stuck on a planet inhabited by killing machines._

"When're we gonna leave?" he asked, "I don't wanna be stuck here a minute longer than I have to."

"Right you are. Why don't you sort through your gear and see if there's anything you want to leave behind."

"Huh. Well, I only really have my armor, knife, and gun. I'm pretty sure I wanna bring all that..."

"Ok, but I'm going to have to change your helmet back to the way it was. It may be constricting, but it'll keep you alive if there's a breach."

Harley sighed. "...Fine. Just make sure it matches my armor."

With a roll of her eye, Prism floated over to where his helmet lay and within a few minutes, she had it looking the same as it used to be, with the exception of some Vex plating that she'd augmented in.

Harley sighed again before picking up the helmet and putting it on. "Ok. Can we leave now?"

"Someone's eager."

"Damn right I am! I've been ready to get off this rock for two months!"

Prism chuckled. "I'll prep the ship for interplanetary travel." She disappeared.

" _Finally_."

The ship's engines started up. Harley turned towards Mercury's horizon, shrouded in darkness. "So long Mercury! ...It's been horrible and I _won't_ miss ya!" With that, he was transmitted onto the ship.

"Are you ready?" Prism asked.

"You kidding? I was _revived_ ready! Let's get outta here!"

The ship had barely risen into the air when Harley gunned the engines, blasting them away so fast that neither had time to notice the figure watching them, illuminated by the light of the Vex heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we are with part 6. I hope y'all are enjoying this story as much as I have writing it. Part 7 should be coming sometime later next week, so keep on the lookout!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	8. Part Seven - Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"From across the ruined earth they came, seeking shelter from the storm." - Grimoire of the City**

* * *

 

Amanda Holliday sat in the Hangar fiddling with part of an Arcadia's engine when she was interrupted by a beeping coming from one of her monitors. Brow furrowing, she set down her tools and walked over. "That's strange," she said to herself.

"Is there a problem, Miss Holliday?" asked one of the Frames with its robotic voice.

"No...actually, I ain't sure. Seems a ship's just broke atmo over the Cosmodrome... Can I get a status on our listed ships?"

"Certainly." The Frame made its way over to a second monitor. "Would you prefer the statuses of all ships?"

"Just the ones that ain't on Earth."

"Very well... There are 15 ships not currently on Earth. Would you like me to list them for you?"

"Nah, just...read the classes."

"Of course. Out of the 15 ships, 5 are Phaeton, 4 are Regulus, and 6 are Arcadia class."

"No Kestrels then?"

"Affirmative."

"Well, I'm lookin' at one right now...though this one don't look like any I've ever worked on... Tell you what, might not be a bad idea to alert the Vanguard. Can't be too careful with potential threats to the City."

"I've just alerted them, Miss."

True to the Frame's word, the Vanguards arrived a few minutes later, looking annoyed. Or rather, Zavala looked annoyed and Ikora curious, while Cayde was just plain thrilled to be out of the Hall of Guardians. "Miss Holliday," said Zavala, "I take it you're the one who has alerted us?"

"Yep, that'd be me, sir."

"Not that I'm complainin,' far from it, but what'd you alert us for?" asked Cayde.

Amanda motioned for them to follow her to the monitor. "I was doin' a repair job on one of the ships when the monitor started goin' crazy. So I check it out, and it turns out that a ship's just entered the Cosmodrome from atmo."

Zavala sounded irritated. "Miss Holliday, if _that_ is your reason for summoning us-"

"Hold your horses. I ain't finished. I had a Frame check the database...it ain't ours."

"Beg your pardon?" said Cayde.

"I said the ship ain't one of ours... Here, take a look."

The Vanguards gathered around the monitor. "Huh," remarked Cayde, "Looks to be a Kestrel class jumpship...but not like any I've seen."

Ikora's eyes narrowed, then widened. "That ship has Vex plating on it!"

Zavala looked at her sharply. "Are you certain of this?"

"Positive."

The Titan's face was grim. "Very well...we must prepare the anti-aircraft weapons. Who knows what could be in that ship..."

"Whoa whoa whoa, let's just- can we take a second to _think_ here, before we start blastin' ships out of the sky?"

"What is there to think about, Cayde?" Zavala demanded, "Just _one_ Vex puts the City at risk!"

"Not sure if my vote counts for anythin'," said Amanda, "But whoever it is hasn't shown any aggression towards us yet. Seems to me they're just lookin' for a peaceful landing."

"And what if you're wrong? If the Vex establish a foothold-"

"Look, Zav. It _kills me_ to disagree with ya, but blowin' a ship outta the sky when we don't know who's in it seems a might radical to me," said Cayde, "I say we let 'em land, see what we're dealin' with, and _then_ if it turns out they're up to no good, you can sing 'I told you so' as we blast 'em to hell."

Zavala didn't look happy about it, but he relented. "Very well. But I want a full squadron out here to meet them... Cayde, Ikora, come with me. We must prepare to muster our defenses, should this not end as we hope."

" _What_? No!" whined Cayde. He wanted to be where the excitement was.

"If you're unwilling, we can always resort to Plan A."

Cayde sighed but followed the other Vanguards out of the Hangar.

A few minutes later, three Guardians showed up. "Zavala sent us," said one, a Titan Amanda recognized as Bazzle Torelli. "Damn, he wasn't kiddin' around."

"No, he rarely 'kids.'"

"Miss Holliday, ship designated 'Q2-81' is requesting permission to land," said one of the Frames.

Amanda hurried over to the monitor and put on a headset. "Jumpship Q2-81, what's your status, over?" For a moment, there was no reply. Suddenly, a female voice spoke. "This is Jumpship Q2-81, requesting permission to land, over."

Amanda typed a few commands into the computer to prepare a docking bay. "Jump ship Q2-81, permission granted. Repeat, you're cleared for landing, over." She took off the headset and moved to stand by the Guardian squadron. All six of them watched as the bronze colored ship slowly pulled into the docking bay. Finally, the holdings were secured and the engines cut off. Everyone waited with baited breath.

Suddenly, a blinding light flashed and a figure dropped to the ground on unsteady feet. They couldn't tell much about the person, for whoever it was was shrouded in armor the same color as the ship.

Then the figure spoke, its voice was that of a male. "Hiya... S'nice to have a welcoming committee for a change..." With that, he collapsed to the floor.

Amanda and the Guardians rushed over. The stranger lay prone on his back, unmoving. The Warlock removed his helmet. Amanda felt a flicker of surprise, voiced by the Hunter standing nearby. "He's _human_...Why would a human be inside a _Vex_ ship?"

"Search him," said Torelli, "Make sure he can't cause harm, intentionally or otherwise."

The Warlock stepped forward again, swiftly finding and removing a gun and a knife.

"Is that all he has?" asked the Hunter disbelievingly.

Torelli inspected the weapons. "Both of these look a lot like Vex to me."

Suddenly, the stranger stirred, causing the Guardians' hands to tighten around their guns. His eyes blinked open and he put a hand to his head. "Holy head rush." He frowned. "That's been happening a lot lately," he muttered.

"Get him up," said Torelli. The other two stepped forward, hauling the man to his feet.

"Uh, one of you mind telling me what's going on?"

"We're taking you to the Vanguard," Torelli responded.

"Who?" the stranger asked blankly.

The Guardians were silent, unsure how to answer him. Suddenly, he tilted his head to the side, as though listening to something. "Oh right, those guys... Well, don't expect me to remember _everything_."

Amanda frowned. "Maybe we oughta get him to medical first... Looks like he took a hit to the head."

Torelli shook his head. "Commander Zavala was very clear. We're to take him directly to them." He turned to the stranger. "Follow me and don't think of trying to escape. We _will_ be watching you." To emphasize this, the others casually stepped in to flank him.

The stranger ran a hand through his hair. "Man, you guys don't mess around."

"No, we don't," the Titan agreed, "Come on."

Amanda watched the group leave, wishing she could follow, but she knew she had ships to tend to.

* * *

Cayde sighed noisily and got an eye roll from Ikora in response.

" _If_ you could try to contain yourself, Cayde," said Zavala.

Cayde barely stopped himself from sighing again. He couldn't help it. He wanted to know what was going on so badly, it almost physically pained him. "When's that blasted thing supposed to land?"

_Beep!_

Zavala looked at the screen in front of him. "I've just gotten an alert from Miss Holliday."

Cayde perked up. "About the ship? Did it land?"

Zavala shot him a sharp look. "She informed me that yes, the ship landed five minutes ago and the pilot is being brought in by my Guardians as we speak."

Cayde threw up his hands. "Finally! They're coming _here_ , right?"

"Indeed. They should arrive momentarily." As he said this, Cayde heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He and Ikora turned to face the stairs, where four people had just entered. The alleged 'pilot' was walking in the middle, escorted by the others.

 _Whaddaya know? He's human._ _Good thing I convinced them not to blow the ship_ , he thought smugly. He realized the stranger couldn't be older than 25. _What's a kid like that doing in a Vex ship?_

Cayde watched as the Titan, Torelli, reported to Zavala, who dismissed the Guardians immediately after. They filed unquestioningly out of the room, leaving the stranger standing alone. He gave a small wave. "So...hey."

Cayde snorted. _Kid's got a real way with words._

Then the stranger did something quite odd. He tilted his head to the left and muttered, "What do you mean 'is that the best you can do?' In case you haven't noticed, I'm kinda in a precarious spot here. I need your support, not your criticism."

Ikora and Zavala exchanged a look that wasn't lost on Cayde.

 _They think this guy's wacko._ He decided to play devil's advocate. "Mind tellin' us who you were talking to there, bucko?" he asked, ignoring Zavala's trademark 'Cayde-what-the-hell-are-you-doing' look.

"Oh, um...honestly it might be easier to show you. I don't think you guys'll believe me otherwise... I mean, you obviously already think I've gone off the deep end."

Cayde noted Ikora's raised eyebrow. She was clearly impressed with the stranger's perceptiveness. "Alright, then why don't you show us?" said Cayde.

The stranger nodded. Looking up at the ceiling, he said, "Ok, you can come out now... Y'know, unless you _want_ to make me look insane."

The Vanguard watched as something flashed into existence near the stranger's head. At first, they could do nothing but stare in disbelief.

Cayde was the first one to break the silence. "What the hell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Harley finally made it to the Tower. I'm afraid I'll be gone this weekend, so part 8 will have to wait until sometime next week. In the meantime, feel free to share your theories on how you think the Vanguard will react to Harley.
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	9. Part Eight - Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"The merchants and citizens who fill its plazas and halls are dedicated to the reclamation of our worlds as the Guardians who venture into the Darkness beyond." - Grimoire of the Tower**

* * *

 

The three Vanguard stared incredulously at the Ghost that had inexplicably appeared. Before this moment, Cayde had only experienced speechlessness twice in his life. _Well, I guess this makes it three times now.._. He noticed with some satisfaction that Zavala and Ikora were undergoing the same thing.

Finally, the Titan managed to get words out. "Ghost," he said, "Identify yourself."

The Ghost's voice was amused when she spoke. "A-6 reporting for duty."

Realization dawned in Ikora's eyes. "You were the Ghost we sent on the mission to Mercury."

Cayde raised his eyebrows. " _Really_?" He whistled. "Well, now I'm even _more_ interested in how this happened."

"I could say the same," said Zavala, "Ghost, I'd like a brief...report on the details of your mission."

"Of course... I was dispatched four months and 6 days ago to investigate rumors of the Warlock Osiris on the planet Mercury. I started searching upon arrival but was unable to find traces of anything other than Vex. Two months later, I was scouting an empty stretch of desert when I discovered human remains. The time for revival felt right, so I used my Light and the Light of the human's soul to bring him back as a Guardian."

The Vanguard were astonished. For six years, no new Guardians had come forth. Yet, here was one brought back from the Vex planet itself! It seemed too good to be true.

"What is your name, Guardian?" Zavala asked.

The Guardian looked surprised at being addressed. "Uh...Harley. Harley Hayden."

"Perhaps you could shed some light as to why you arrived in a Vex ship?" said Ikora.

"Huh? Ohh. No, no, uh, it's not Vex. See, when we found it, Prism said it was really old, like _centuries_ old. So we had to find parts to fix it up."

"And you used the _Vex_?" said Cayde skeptically.

"Ah, yep."

"You killed _Vex_ and _used_ their parts to _rebuild your ship_?"

"That about sums it up." Cayde chuckled, turning to the other Vanguard. "I like this kid."

Zavala examined the gun Torelli had left on the table. "You killed them with this?" Harley nodded.

"Why the knife?" Ikora asked.

Harley shrugged. "Needed something to get the parts."

Cayde shook his head. _This kid is somethin' else._

Zavala sighed wearily, rubbing his forehead. "I don't believe I speak alone when I say that I'd like to hear a full report of the events following your revival, but I'm sure you'd appreciate a respite from your efforts." Cayde and Ikora nodded.

"Tell ya what," said Cayde, "We'll assign you a room so you can get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll meet you back here bright and early so you can finish the story."

Harley nodded, although he looked like didn't much like the idea of being woken up 'bright and early.' "Can I take my weapons with me?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, kid. Just get some rest."

Harley nodded his thanks before accepting his gun and knife from Zavala and leaving the room.

* * *

 

As he emerged from the stairwell that led to the Vanguards' room, Harley paused a moment to take in his surroundings. As the day passed into evening, a light fog crept over the Tower, giving him a sense of peace he hadn't felt before. "Mind showing me around while we're waiting on the room?"

"There's no need... I've just been sent the room assignment. Follow me."

They found the room with little difficulty. It was numbered 3C, the third of 7 rooms on the level. Harley walked in, noticing how Spartan the interior was. The walls and ceiling were white and the floor was hardwood. There was a couch in front of the window next to the door. In the opposite corner was a double bed with basic light grey blankets. A dresser stood a few feet away, its drawers empty. Harley walked into the bathroom and found it decently sized, equipped with basic toiletries. All things considered, it was a lot better than Mercury.

Despite how tired he knew he was, Harley didn't feel like going to bed right that second. Instead, he sank down onto the couch. "Prism?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think you could tell me a bit more about all this?" He waved his hand around, indicating the Tower, but meaning so much more.

Prism sighed. "I'll try," she said, "Just stop me if you're about to fall asleep." Harley nodded, leaning back into his seat. "Ok. What do you want to know first?"

"Well...what _is_ the Light exactly? How does it work?"

His Ghost laughed. "Unfortunately, your first questions are ones I have no answer for. Just because I was created by the Traveler doesn't mean I understand it or the Light any better than anyone else."

Harley nodded. "I guess that makes sense... What about the people here? I mean, there're humans and stuff, but there's also people who don't really look...human?"

"Yes. Now that you mention it, this is something you'll want to know for the future. There _are_ humans here, as you said. Ikora is human. However, the other two Vanguards are not."

"You don't say."

She shot him a look before continuing. "Commander Zavala is an Awoken. Not too much is known about them. Rumor has it, they were created during the Collapse when the humans fleeing Earth were caught at the Boundary of Light and Dark. The Fleet was destroyed and the survivors were transformed into the Awoken. They used the destroyed ships to build a settlement in the Asteroid Belt. Now they're an independent matriarchal society ruled by their Queen and extremely unaccepting of outsiders. Even Earthborn Awoken are not welcomed there."

"Huh." Harley couldn't think of a response for what he'd learned. "So there's humans, Awoken...what about the, uh...robots?"

"They are called the Exo. As far as we can tell, they're a race of sentient war machines built during the Golden Age. No one's certain _why_ they were created, but they consider themselves human...their minds are, at any rate. Don't make the mistake of thinking they can't feel or don't have emotions. Inside, they're as human as you are."

Harley nodded. "I won't forget."

"Good," said Prism, "They've been around for years, but still aren't fully accepted, especially outside of the Tower."

There was a long pause in the conversation, broken by Harley's laugh. "There's so much I haven't learned," he said, "I feel like I've just scratched the surface of something more colossal that I could ever hope to understand."

"Basically. I hope I didn't overwhelm you too much."

He shook his head. "I think I just need time to process it... I'm gonna take a shower and head to bed...it's been a long day."

"Yep. And it'll be just as long tomorrow!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Knocked another chapter out of the way! Harley spoke to the Vanguard and is finally able to get some well-deserved rest. Much appreciation to everyone who commented and left kudos. You guys rock! Part 9 should be up this weekend if nothing interferes.
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	10. Part Nine - Accounting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Legends are carved across history by the brave." - Grimoire of the Guardians**

* * *

 

_Harley cursed as he fired shot after shot at the Hydra. "There's no shield!" he yelled, "So why the hell are my shots not doing damage?!" He ran across the room, hiding behind a crate._

_"The only way is to keep firing!" Prism said urgently, "You'll never break through otherwise!"_

_Drawing a deep breath, Harley leaned out, shooting once more at the giant Vex. He saw it turn and aim at him. He tried to get behind the crate, but he was too slow. Too slow. The projectile blasted him into the wall so hard that he heard something snap. He crashed to the floor, gun spinning away. Suddenly, he heard the sound of heavy metallic footsteps. He looked up. A Minotaur was standing over him, red eye glaring. Harley inched his hand out to the side, reaching for his gun, but before he could grab it, the Minotaur brought its arm up. He froze as it began to emit a purple glow. Desperation building, he jerked his hand forward. The Minotaur fired, lighting up Harley's vision with a purple fire that faded all too soon, taking the rest of the world with it._

Harley bolted upright, gasping. He half expected to feel coarse sand under him, or see the red glow of Vex eyes. Instead, he was met with the sight of white walls, hardwood flooring, and the feeling of a soft mattress beneath him. He felt his breathing slowly even out. Looking around, he noticed that Prism was hovering next to him.

"Are you ok?"

He nodded. "Yeah...I'm good."

"Sure?"

"Yeah. It was just a bad dream." Harley got up, stretching.

"Well, you'd better hurry," she said, "You're meeting with the Vanguard in 15 minutes."

" _What_? Why didn't you wake me?"

"I've been _trying_ to wake you! You weren't responding!" said the Ghost defensively.

"Oh... sorry."

"No time for that, just get moving!"

Galvanized into action, Harley hurried to brush his teeth and fix his hair before donning his armor, the only clothes he possessed. Satisfied, he hurried out the door, Prism following behind. As he quickly made his way across the plaza, he noticed how empty it seemed. "What time is it?"

"It's 10:26."

"What? Where is everyone?"

"Most of the Guardians are away on missions."

"What about the others - the ones who escorted me?"

"They probably left on missions or patrols of their own."

"Huh."

* * *

Harley made it into the room with barely a minute to spare.

"Cutting it a bit close there," said the female Vanguard, sounding amused.

"Yeah, sorry. I overslept."

"That's understandable...The only reason _Cayde_ is here on time is because we told him the meeting was 20 minutes earlier."

The Exo Vanguard glared at her from across the table. "I still think that can be classified as 'cruel and unusual punishment.'"

"Working with _you_ certainly is," the Awoken Vanguard muttered.

"Was that- did _you_ just make a _joke_?"

The Exo sounded astonished, but the other man just continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Ah, our newest recruit. I am Commander Zavala, Titan Vanguard."

Harley nodded, fighting the urge to salute. No wonder he was a Commander...the man radiated authority.

"Hello," said the female, "My name is Ikora Rey, Warlock Vanguard."

Harley nodded again. She had authority too, albeit of a different kind.

Finally, the robot-man spoke. "Yeah, yeah. Cayde-6. I'm the Hunter Vanguard. Salutations."

He didn't have the same aura of authority as the other two, but he definitely commanded attention. "Nice to meet you," said Harley, "Uh, so what am I doing here exactly?"

"We need a full report detailing how you came to be here," said Zavala.

"Yep!" said Cayde brightly, "Basically you're gonna tell all the juicy details and we're gonna say 'Wow, nice job! Welcome to the Guardians! Here's a cookie!'"

Zavala shot a glare at the other Vanguard. "It won't happen exactly like that, but we have delayed too long already...Guardian?"

There was long a moment of awkward silence before Harley realized Zavala was talking to him. "Oh, yeah...right. So I guess it started with Prism raising me from the dead. She told me the basics: Guardian of the Light, yadda yadda, then she said we were _stuck_ on Mercury. Luckily, we managed to find a ship, but most of the parts needed replacing so we started hunting and killing Vex. By the end of two months, we had almost enough parts to make it to Earth, except the...something was broken."

"The warp drive," Prism put in.

"Yeah. The warp drive was broken. Prism reckoned she could fix it with Vex parts if I took down one big enough, so we killed a Hydra and used its teleportation tech to repair the drive. Then we took off and basically the rest is history."

The Vanguards nodded. "Interesting," said Zavala, "There has not been a Guardian on Mercury for quite some time. It was thought to be totally under Vex control. In light of these events, however, perhaps we should consider reclaiming our old outposts..."

Ikora nodded her agreement. "You've given us a lot to think about, Guardian," she said, "Not the least of which is your own future. What path will you follow? That is but one of the many questions on my mind... However, you deserve rest after all you've endured. Take today to explore the Tower. Tomorrow...well, tomorrow we'll get down to business."

Harley nodded. "I appreciate that. Thank you."

Ikora nodded, dismissing him.

Harley turned and walked out of the hall.

"What do you want to do with your free time?" Prism asked.

He shrugged. "I have _no_ idea...I was thinking about meeting some people, but it seems like no one's here. I still feel pretty exhausted though. Maybe I'll catch up on sleep."

"...A good idea as any."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for cutting this chapter a bit short. I've been pretty busy lately. Hopefully you still enjoyed it though :) The next one will be longer, although it might be up a bit late as well. I guess we'll see how it goes. Shoutout to everyone who commented and left kudos! Until next time!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	11. Part Ten - Test

**"In all the centuries of the City's history, the Speaker's great work has never changed - to guide new Guardians, heal the Traveler, and raise our crippled protector from its slumber." - Grimoire of the Speaker**

* * *

 

Harley rose early the next morning, refreshed from the extra rest he'd gotten. He exited his room, breathing in the morning air. "What's on the agenda today, Prism?"

"The Vanguard would like you to meet with the Speaker."

"Who's that?"

"He acts as an advisor to the Guardians, as well as the Vanguard. He actually helped to build the Last City alongside others like Lord Saladin, Commander Zavala, and Lord Shaxx... He has a study in the North Tower. I can lead you there."

"Ok." Harley followed his Ghost across the plaza, glancing at some of the people standing around. _I'll have to check out the plaza after I meet this 'Speaker.'_

Prism led him down a twisting corridor until they arrived in a courtyard quite a bit smaller than the plaza. A massive tower dominated Harley's view. A small bridge connected it to everything else. As he crossed it, Harley noticed a strange configuration of spinning rings next to a swooping staircase. He climbed the stairs and found a study with books and papers strewn haphazardly about. There was no one there. _Guess he's out doing something else_. Harley's gaze lit upon a desk near the railing. A selection of blueish-purple crystals sat in a tray upon it. Intrigued, Harley moved closer for a better look. He reached out, wanting to touch one. His hand was inches away when he heard someone speak.

"Have you ever heard of the Golden Age saying 'curiosity killed the cat?'"

Harley snatched his hand away, turning around. He was met with the visage of a strangely-dressed man. The man wore white robes with a hood, as well as a white mask that covered his entire face.

"Greetings, Guardian," he said.

"...Hi. Um, who...are you exactly?"

The man sighed. "...We used to be stronger, you know. Back before the Darkness came and weakened our solar system... Until it wakes and finds its voice, I am the one who speaks for the Traveler."

Understanding broke over Harley like a tidal wave. "So _you're_ the Speaker."

"Indeed, I am. And I have been waiting for you."

"What? How'd you know about me?"

"I have been aware of your existence ever since you arrived on Earth... I did not seek you out, because I knew that you would come here yourself, given time... You must have many questions, Guardian. I assume your Ghost has already told you how you came to be?"

"She told me a bit, yeah... How exactly does the Traveler know who should be revived as a Guardian?"

"The Ghosts seek out the few that are able to wield Light as a weapon to defend our world from the Darkness. In a sense, the Traveler acts through you, through all Guardians, to do what it cannot."

"Why can't it?"

The Speaker sighed again. "Long ago, the Traveler was crippled in a great battle against the Darkness. It is much weaker now than it once was...and the Darkness is returning, surrounding us on all sides."

"How can I help?"

"You must work with others to push back its armies. The Tower is more empty now that it has been for many years... Fewer Guardians return from missions each time... lost in the fight."

"Where?"

"Everywhere. Earth, Venus, Mars...the list goes on and our numbers dwindle. But perhaps _you_ could help us turn the tide."

" _Me_?" Harley tried not to laugh. "I'm just one guy! I can't- I don't know how to do any of the stuff you talked about! 'Wielding Light as a weapon?' I can't _do_ that!"

"Then you will learn," said the Speaker, "Your Ghost chose you for a reason, Guardian. Do you trust her judgment?"

Harley's mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he struggled for an answer. "I-of course I do!"

"Then you must also trust in yourself. You _can_ learn. The key is believing you can."

"Then...where do I start?"

"You must begin by discovering your class."

"What's that?"

"There are three: Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters. We have tests to determine which one a Guardian belongs to. If you are ready, then we shall go to the Vanguard."

Harley winced, not feeling ready at all, but he knew he couldn't afford to delay. He took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

* * *

The Vanguards looked up as the Speaker entered, followed by Harley. Cayde chuckled. _Kid looks like he's going to his execution_.

"He is ready for the test," said the Speaker.

"Excellent," said Zavala, "Ikora, will do you the honors?"

Ikora nodded before going to a chest in the corner of the room. Cayde noticed Harley eying her the way a deer might eye a hunting wolf. He laughed again. "Relax, kid. The 'test' is _way_ less dramatic than you're thinkin'."

Ikora returned, carrying three guns in her arms.

Harley looked confused. "What...is this exactly?"

Cayde answered him. "Basically, each class is drawn to a different sorta weapon. Ikora's gonna lay these guns out, and all you gotta do is pick one."

"That's _it_?" The kid looked like he expected some kind of trick.

"That's it... These are the three guns that best represented each class... Knock yourself out."

Ikora stepped back from the table, leaving the guns lying on it.

* * *

 

Harley eyed them. There looked to be a sniper rifle, a shotgun, and another he didn't recognize.

"That's a fusion rifle," Prism said in his ear, "They shoot a wave of energy beams, which can allow the user to sweep across several targets. They're meant for medium-ranged combat and have to charge up for a couple seconds before firing."

"Thanks." Harley stepped closer to the table, feeling the eyes of everyone else on him. It was extremely disconcerting.

He examined the shotgun only briefly - he knew it was the wrong type of weapon for him - but spent much longer deliberating between the sniper and the fusion rifle. The idea of the fusion rifle interested him, but it also felt like too alien of a concept. He looked at the sniper rifle. Its shape seemed familiar, comfortable even. He liked the idea of being able to kill enemies from a great distance. Almost unconsciously, he reached forward, hands tracing the weapon's shape before lifting it off the table. A loud cheer sounded from the side, startling him.

He looked up. It was Cayde-6, and he seemed extremely excited.

"Yes!" shouted the Vanguard, doing a fist pump, "A Hunter! In your faces!"

Zavala and Ikora frowned at him but seemed amused at the same time.

"You have chosen," said the Speaker solemnly, "Welcome, Hunter."

There was a pause as Harley processed the choice he'd just made. _I've just set the course of my life_ , he realized, _I wonder what would've happened if I'd chosen differently?_

The silence was broken by the Speaker. "I'm afraid I must return to my study." He spoke mostly to the Vanguard but turned to Harley. "We will meet again. Until then, goodbye, Guardian, and good luck... May the Light go with you." With that, he turned and exited, leaving Harley alone with the three Vanguards.

Cayde was still chuckling. "First Guardian resurrected in 6 years and a Hunter to boot!"

Ikora smiled and shook her head as she gathered the guns to put them away. Zavala returned to the head of the table to resume his work. Harley attempted to hand the sniper rifle back, but Ikora waved him off. "Keep it. You'll be needing it soon."

 _Talk about unsettling_ , thought Harley as he slung the weapon across his back.

"Right," said Cayde, "First thing you need to do as a new Hunter is get some better armor. No offense, I'm sure those Vex leftovers protect you just fine, but that armor's a lot bulkier than what we Hunters use. Zavala set you up with some Glimmer to get you started, but don't worry about paying for this. Just tell Rahool that Cayde sent ya, and he'll set you up with everything you need...except a gun. For that, you gotta see Banshee. And listen to him, 'cause he knows his shit, especially when it comes to guns. I mean, you _could_ continue using that piece of Vex scrap-metal if you're attached. Hey! It's your neck! Anyway, I think that covers everything. If you got extra time, you might wanna start acquaintin' yourself with the other folks around here...you'll be doin' a lot of business with 'em in the future. So, any questions?"

"...I think you managed to cancel out all the questions you gave me."

Cayde shrugged. "Hey, it's better than I usually do. I'll take it. Good luck, Hunter."

Harley nodded, then turned and made his way back out into the plaza. "So...where is this Rahool guy?"

"He's just past the vaults. This way."

He followed his Ghost through a cluster of small structures with screens on each side and found himself standing in front of a stall. The man running it was blue-skinned like Zavala and wore yellow robes. He held a datapad in his hands but looked up at Harley's approach.

"Ah. A new Guardian? It's been quite some time since the last one, you know."

"Yeah, I've heard... So who are you exactly?"

"Me? My name is Master Rahool. I'm a crypto-archaeologist or cryptarch for short. We are in charge of decoding the past, as it were. Although, I'll also decode things from our enemies, such as transmissions and weapons and the like. Guardians like yourself often bring me engrams they pick up on their missions, which I'll decode free of charge."

"What are engrams?"

"Engrams are the fourth state of matter. They can be encoded with patterns of armor, weaponry, and almost any other item you could think of. You'll most likely come across quite a few on your missions... I assume that's why you're here?"

"What?"

"To prepare for a mission. All newcomers pass through eventually."

"Oh. Yeah. That's right. I need some new armor... Cayde said you'd help me out."

The cryptarch nodded before turning and searching through some bins. After a few minutes, he pulled out several glowing green polyhedrons. "These should do nicely. I'll decode them and then your Ghost can store them for you."

The decoding took a few minutes, but by the end, Harley had a brand new set of armor. He said goodbye to the cryptarch, who reminded him to "Come back before I get bored." Then, he made his way up several steps to the gunsmith's area.

The gunsmith looked up. "Morning, Guardian. Name's Banshee. Banshee-44, but you can leave off the number."

"Hey... I need a gun."

"Came to the right place... What kind? Primary? Secondary?"

"Uh, primary. Already got my secondary."

"Alright, let's see here...most Hunters prefer hand-cannons but there're some that go for auto-rifles... How about I set you up with one of each?"

"That should work... How'd you know I was a Hunter?"

"Cayde told me you were coming. Special case, it seems." He passed over two guns, which Prism stored. "Take care of those guns Guardian."

"Will do."

Banshee nodded. "See you around."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that my updates have been lagging a bit. Tons of stuff going on right now. But hey! Harley finally has a class! Now that you know he's a Hunter, my question is: What subclass do you think he's going to have? Leave a comment telling me what you think!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	12. Part Eleven - Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Our old worlds have grown feral - rabid beasts with teeth of rust and ruin. But such beasts are meant to be tamed. Or broken." - Grimoire of the Hunters**

* * *

 

Harley made his way into the Hall of Guardians. Earlier that morning, he'd gotten a message from Cayde, calling him in. Luckily, he'd had just enough time to grab a cup of coffee from the mess hall, which he sipped as he entered the room.

Cayde looked up and waved him over. "Excellent. You're here... Don't mind if I do."

Harley blinked in surprise as the coffee cup was abruptly removed from his grasp. He shrugged it off. "What was it you wanted me for?"

Cayde had just finished taking a large gulp of what used to be Harley's coffee. "Ah...right. That. Look, I'd like to have given you a few more days to get used to things 'round here, but it looks like fate's against you." His tone shifted to something a bit more businesslike. "Basically, the Fallen have been messin' with machines all across the Cosmodrome. At first, we thought they were looting stuff, but now it seems more deliberate. We would've sent another Guardian, but...yeah. So all you gotta do is go down there, see what they're up to, and shoot 'em. Not restricted to that order." Cayde took another sip of the coffee, slapping Harley on the shoulder with his free hand. "Go get 'em, Guardian."

Harley nodded, then made his departure.

"So we're going on our first mission!" said Prism.

"Yup."

"Don't worry, you'll do great. After all, you've already faced the Vex, and they're a lot harder to kill."

Harley snorted. "Talk about looking on the bright side."

"Don't criticize my optimism," said his Ghost, "...I can't help but notice that _you_ seem to favor a more...negative point of view."

Harley shrugged. "What can I say? At least I'll always either end up right, or pleasantly surprised."

"...That's a rather optimistic way of thinking for a self-pronounced pessimist."

"Shut up."

* * *

Their arrival in the Hangar was met with a warm welcome from Amanda Holliday. The Shipwright was obviously pleased to see that everything had resolved nicely after their first encounter. She cast an appraising look at Prism as Harley walked up to her. She held out a hand, which he shook. "Amanda Holliday," she said, "Nice to finally meet the guy who barged into my Hangar."

Harley smiled. "Harley Hayden. Nice to meet you too."

Amanda nodded and stepped back, picking up a circuit she'd been repairing. "So we finally got a new Guardian...Didn't think that was gonna happen."

"Everyone else was pretty surprised."

"Course they were! None of us expected a new Guardian. We'd given up on the idea years ago. But that ain't important now...What brings you here?"

"I was just dispatched on a mission."

"So soon?" Harley nodded and Amanda sighed. "Well, can't say I didn't expect that. Vanguard must be pretty eager to have a new Guardian in the field... I suppose you'll be needing your ship then?"

"Yeah."

"Just finished repairin' it yesterday." Harley followed her gesture and saw his ship docked across the platform. "Kept the original platin' and the modifications you made. I'd've replaced it if we had more time, but I wasn't sure if that's what you'd want."

"Nah, it's fine. I'll keep it the way it is... Is it ready to go?"

"Sure is."

"Then I'd better get going." Harley made his way over to his ship.

"Good luck, Guardian!" Amanda called after him.

He looked at Prism, who said, "I'm ready when you are."

He nodded. "Ok. Prepare for transmat."

A white light engulfed his vision for a brief moment, then Harley found himself sitting in his ship, Prism hovering next to him.

" _Jumpship Q2-81, you are cleared for takeoff._ "

Harley started the engines, feeling the ship lift up into the air. He slowly pushed the controls forward, gathering speed as he left the Hangar. Soon, the Tower was nothing more than a distant speck fading away behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Harley's finally getting sent on his first mission! Sorry this one was a bit short. On the bright side, it looks like I'll have more time to update in the future. The next chapter will be posted this weekend. Also, many thanks to everyone who left kudos. You guys rock!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	13. Part Twelve - Cosmodrome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Our cities lit the whole world. Now we huddle under the shadow of the Traveler, in the last place it protects." - Grimoire of Earth**

* * *

 

"We're coming up on the drop zone now," said Prism.

Harley took a deep breath and tried to swallow his apprehension as he put his helmet on, hearing the seal as it clicked into place. Just then, his Ghost spoke up again.

"We're here. Transmat in 3...2...1."

Harley found himself standing in the middle of a barren wasteland. Apart from the dilapidated structures, the only other things around were rocks, snow, and the scraggly vegetation. "Nice place," he said, flipping up the hood of his cloak.

"Welcome to the Steppes. This is merely one section of the Cosmodrome."

"What's a Cosmodrome?"

"Where ships are docked and take off from. This is the place where the last colony ships took off during the Collapse."

Harley started walking. "So where's the mission."

"I'm not entirely sure, but I _am_ picking up some Fallen activity in the Forgotten Shore... That's pretty far away. We'll need ground transport if you want to get there before nightfall."

"Great. How do we get transport?"

"Guardians set up a vehicle grid here. If we find an access point, I can get you a Sparrow from the ship."

"A _what_?"

"A Sparrow is an overland vehicle. Luckily, Miss Holliday saw fit to equip you with one before we left."

"Nice of her."

"Yeah, you better remember to say thank you when we get back... Alright. I've marked the Sparrow link on your HUD. Do you see it?"

Harley glanced around, then noticed a little white diamond hovering over a point a short distance away. He headed towards it, following an old dirt track. Then, as he rounded a corner, he came face to face with enemies. They were very different from the Vex. There were two short greenish looking insectoid figures accompanied by another insectoid with four arms, though this one had a slimmer head and was white instead of green. The alien screeched at him in a different language and began shooting blue wispy energy beams from its gun.

As unnerved at Harley was by their unexpected appearance, he killed all 3 in short succession, only pausing briefly before continuing on his way. "What the hell _were_ those?"

"They were Fallen," said Prism, "We probably know more about them than any of the other races. According to the stories, they were once chosen by the Traveler, but fell from its Light, hence the name. When it came here, they chased it across the stars to our solar system and haven't left to this day. They live in a strict hierarchy, and there are several factions of them, called 'Houses.' The Houses are always fighting and competing with one another. The only time they have ever united was during the Battle of Six Fronts, and even then, one House did not join them... A good thing, too. If all the Houses had been against us, there's a real possibility that there wouldn't be a City today."

"Wow. That's pretty heavy... Is this it?" They were standing in front of a small rusted structure, open at both ends. There was a control panel with monitors against one wall.

"Yep. We'll need to access that panel."

As Harley approached it, Prism appeared in front of him and scanned the system. Information flashed across the screen. "Ok. You should be able to get your Sparrow now."

"Great. How?"

She turned. "All Guardian armor comes equipped with an interface on the left wrist."

Harley looked at his arm. "Ah, right. I see it."

"Good. An option should be on screen to transmat your Sparrow. Select it."

Sure enough, a symbol was present on the left side of the interface with the words 'Vehicle Link Enabled' flashing under it. Harley pressed it, then jumped as the Sparrow materialized next to him. "Uh, how do I drive this?"

"Just get on. You'll figure it out. It's much easier than driving a ship."

"Wonderful." Harley got on the Sparrow. His Ghost turned out to be true to her word, as it only took a minute for him to figure out the controls. "Great. Let's see what this baby can do!" Harley activated the boost, sending them rocketing away, plowing through the occasional Fallen patrol groups as they went.

* * *

 

Harley glanced around as they sped through a shallow canyon, following the course of a river. "How much further?"

"It's just up ahead," said Prism, "We should be entering a clearing right about now."

Just like that, the canyon opened up. Harley saw several rusted sea ships from the Golden Age. "What are those doing here?"

"Who knows? They must have been abandoned at some point during the Collapse. In any case, they aren't useable anymore."

"You don't say."

His Ghost chose to pretend he hadn't said anything. "According to my sensors, the Fallen are transmitting something from two different locations... Let's go see what they're up to."

Harley dismounted, watching as the Sparrow was transmatted away. He drew his hand cannon and held it, relaxed but ready if needed. "Where do I need to go?"

"I've marked it on your HUD. One of the ships."

He nodded. "Sounds good." Harley cautiously made his way across the terrain until he stood in the ship's shadow. He tilted his head to the side. He could make out the tread of heavy footsteps, accompanied by snatches of an alien language. "There's Fallen on board."

"Yes. 3 Dregs, 2 Vandals, and a Captain. He'll have energy shields, so be careful."

Harley made his way to the ship's upper deck, coming face to face with the Fallen. "They look pissed," he said, firing off several rounds. He managed to take out a Vandal and two of the Dregs before he had to reload. He cursed and ducked behind a wall as the Captain fired at him. Equipped with a fresh chamber of bullets, he took out the remaining Dregs. He had to reload once more before taking down the Captain.

He took a deep breath and holstered his hand cannon before crossing over to examine the device the Fallen had been protecting. As he neared it, he heard strange sounding music, as well as several words in an unfamiliar language. "What's that?"

"It's Russian," said Prism, "One of Earth's languages from the Golden Age." She appeared next to him and scanned the device. "Hmm. I can't quite make it out. It's a signal of some kind, but it's not from the Fallen...we'd better check the other one. It's in those ruins over there." She vanished.

Harley leaped to the ground, then made his way up the dirt track to the structure. He was met with more Fallen at the entrance. Luckily, none of them proved much of a challenge and he was past them within minutes. The other device was located in a room next to the entrance. Once again, his Ghost appeared to scan it.

"It's the same thing as before," she reported, "Whatever they're transmitting is coming from the Skywatch. We'd better head over there." She disappeared. "I've marked it."

"Thanks." Exiting the building, Harley got back on his Sparrow and took off.

A short while later, he came upon a large hill, a building perched on the summit. He sped up the curving road until it reached its end inside the building. He got off and entered the building, not without apprehension which Prism decided to contribute to.

"We're about to enter a Darkness Zone."

"What does that mean?"

"It means if you die, there won't be enough Light to revive you. So be careful."

"Fantastic."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Harley's first mission is one of the beginning story missions in the game. But he won't be taking on every single story mission. This is mostly just to build up to the more exciting stuff that I have planned for later in the story ;) Again, shoutout to everyone who left kudos and commented. Your support really inspires my writing :) If y'all cross your fingers for me, I might be able to get another chapter up tomorrow, so be ready!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	14. Part Thirteen - Warmind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"The Cosmodrome was where humanity took to the stars - first in search of what lay beyond, and at the end, in hope of escape."  - Grimoire of the Cosmodrome**

* * *

 

Harley ducked back through the doorway, firing off another round of shots. He cursed as he reloaded. "I wish you'd've told me they'd have swords!"

"Don't blame me! You could have shot them!"

"Well, I'm _sorry_! I didn't think they'd come _charging towards me_!"

"Then you should have stabbed them!"

"I really don't think my standard-issue 6-inch knife is going to cut it here! ...Pun not intended."

"There's only two left now, you can do it."

Harley stepped out and with two quick shots, blew the heads off the Vandals that had been waiting for him to reappear. "Just for the record, you _definitely_ should have told me about the invisibility shields. They didn't pop up on my proximity detector at _all_." He stuck his head into the room they'd come from and sighed with relief before stepping out fully and heading for the back wall.

The device Prism had told him about was large and round, with a monitor attached to the front. She appeared next to him, doing her scanning thing. "Looks like the Fallen are trying to use the machines but someone or some _thing_ is blocking them... There's a lot of data here, it will take a second to make sense of what's happening."

Just then, Harley's proximity detector flashed in warning. He whirled around in time to see several Fallen enter the room. "We have company." He holstered his hand cannon and drew his auto rifle, mowing them down in a matter of seconds. However, while he was killing the ones in the middle, two Vandals were moving up the walkway on the left side. He moved over, taking a few steps towards them as he shot them down. He was about to reload when his PD flashed again. "Damnit!"

He spun, drawing his knife, and saw a Dreg running towards him. Without thinking, he hurled his knife towards the alien, sending it spiraling into its skull. Amazed that it had worked, he stepped forward, retrieving the knife from the alien's body. Then he reloaded his auto rifle and made his way back over to Prism. "I got 'em."

"There's more coming!"

Harley checked his PD. "Crap!"

He turned back and continued to keep the Fallen away from his Ghost as she hacked the device. But just as the second wave was almost dead, reinforcements arrived with more Fallen than before. Harley reloaded again. _It's only a matter of time before I run out of ammo,_ he thought as he shot down more Fallen. He ducked behind a pillar as two giant floating purple _eye things_ entered. "This is no good!" he yelled to his Ghost, "There's too many of them!"

"Use your Light!"

" _What?_!"

"Use your Light as a weapon!"

" _How?_!"

"Don't think about it, just _do_ it!"

"I don't-" Harley froze and looked down at his belt. Strapped to his left side was a grenade that he certainly didn't remember seeing before. _Oh, man I hope this works!_ He grabbed the grenade and chucked it into the densest group of Fallen. It landed and rolled a few feet before detonating in a bright burst, taking out quite a few Fallen.

A little less overwhelmed, Harley managed to kill one of the giant eyeballs, before ducking back to reload. Soon, all of the Fallen had been defeated. Limbs heavy, he stumbled back to where Prism was.

"Good. You didn't die. I just finished hacking this thing. I got everything that was on here. You'd better destroy it so they don't use it again."

Lifting his arm, Harley rendered the device useless in four shots. "Let's get outta here."

As he made his way back through the complex, he asked Prism what she'd found.

"There was a firewall blocking the Fallen, so they didn't really have much. The firewall originates right here in the Cosmodrome."

"Do you know what it's from?"

They emerged onto the surface. "I think the Warmind Rasputin survived the Collapse. _He_ was the one preventing the Fallen from getting through... Prepare for transmat."

This time, Harley wasn't fazed by the suddenness of the transmat. "Warmind?"

"Start the ship and get us on the way back before I explain."

Harley did as she suggested, setting the controls on autopilot. "What is a Warmind?"

"The Warminds were a massive network of advanced AI in control of satellites and doomsday weapons. They were built during the Golden Age and tasked with the protection of Earth and humanity. They attempted to fight back the Darkness during the Collapse, but the were overwhelmed... We thought they'd all been defeated, but it appears that Rasputin survived... He must have calculated a hard civilization kill event and ordered all military assets to retreat, abandoning his objectives. That's my theory, at least."

"Do you think Rasputin could help us fight the Darkness?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure if he still has control of the defense systems, so we can't be sure."

"So what do we do?"

"We have to report this to the Vanguard. They'll want to know about something this important."

* * *

After Harley docked the ship and greeted Amanda Holliday, he and Prism made their way to the Hall of Guardians. The Vanguards looked over and Cayde brightened when he saw them. "Return triumphant, Harley?"

Harley smiled. "You bet. We have some info for you... Actually, this concerns all of you."

Ikora looked interested and Zavala raised an eyebrow.

"The Warmind Rasputin survived the Collapse and is protecting something in the Cosmodrome."

"Rasputin survived?" said Ikora, "This is news indeed. I can't say I'm surprised... There have been stories telling of the last Warmind. Osiris had his theories as well..."

Zavala's face hardened at the mention of Osiris.

Cayde just laughed. "Sure, if you wanna go off the theories of a nut job! ...But now that you mention it, didn't a team of Guardians go dark near the Skywatch pretty recently?"

Zavala nodded gravely. "Indeed. They possessed codes to a hidden array that has the potential to reconnect us to other colonies in the system."

"It could have been one of Rasputin's defense systems!" said Ikora, "If that's the case, we need to open that array."

"Didn't Dead Orbit _already_ lose Guardians on that mission?" said Cayde, "I don't wanna be Debbie Downer here, but we don't have the manpower to spare. Besides, how would we even _get_ the codes? They gotta be long gone by now."

"The Guardians' Ghosts might still have the codes."

"Still. What Guardian would be stupid enough to take that mission after three others died doing it?"

"Aside from you, Cayde?"

"Hey, if you're suggesting _I_ go on the mission, sign me up! I'll do anything to get out of this Tower!"

"Nice try, Cayde," said Zavala, "But that is _not_ going to happen."

"I can go," said Harley. The Vanguards turned to look at him. "Y'know, not _right_ this instant though."

"It's settled then," said Cayde, "The kid'll take it. I doubt he's likely to die on us _now_ after surviving the Vex on Mercury." He eyed Harley as if to say 'You'd better not die.'

"Ok. I'll leave tomorrow morning, then."

Ikora nodded at him. "Thank you for doing this, Harley."

"No problem. Just wait. By this time tomorrow, that array'll be up and running."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's two chapters in one weekend... I spoil you guys too much ;) The next one will probably be ready Wednesday or Thursday, so keep on the lookout! (Also Imma start shoutouts for ppl who leave kudos and comment from now on.) Until next time!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	15. Part Fourteen - Walker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"We have butchers at our gates - four armed and eager for slaughter." - Grimoire of the Fallen**

* * *

 

Harley groaned as he lay on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling. "Why'd I go on two missions _in a row_?"

"Because you didn't give me a chance to tell you that it was a bad idea."

"Ughhh... What time is it?"

"Almost 10."

Harley sat up and got off the bed, wincing as he changed into his casual clothes: black T-shirt, jeans, boots, and a leather jacket. Prism followed him out the door.

"At least Rasputin was able to take control of the array."

"I guess." He rubbed his arms. "Still doesn't make me less sore."

"...Do you want to get breakfast?"

"Nah. I don't feel like staying in the Tower today. Let's go do something."

"In the City?"

Harley shook his head as he strode across the plaza to the Hangar.

Amanda smiled at him when he walked in. "Heya, Harley. Need somethin'?"

He shook his head. "Just wanna head out for a bit."

"To the City?"

"...I was thinking the Divide."

"Without your armor?"

"It's fine. Fallen won't stop me. Besides, I still have my weapons."

Amanda shook her head. "You're crazy. Don't expect me to be at your funeral."

"Not even for the cake?"

"...Only if it's chocolate."

Harley laughed as he made his way over to his ship. Prism transmatted them inside, grumbling about how she'd chosen an idiot for a Guardian.

* * *

It seemed to have taken no time at all before they were being transmatted down into the Divide. Harley made his way up some stairs to the roof of a low bunker-like building. He brushed away some of the snow and sat on the edge, his feet dangling in the air. Prism sounded worried.

"If you're going to sit here in plain sight of Fallen patrols, at _least_ put your helmet on."

Harley took a deep breath of the cold Russian air. "You kidding me? Where's the fun in that? Isn't it nice to just sit here and enjoy not being surrounded by Fallen?"

His Ghost sighed at him. "I guess I can't change your mind."

"Nope! Besides, it's good to be able to relax."

Just as these words left his mouth, he heard a sudden roar approaching from the right. Hastily, he scrambled away from the edge, crouching behind a metal vent that stuck up from the roof. As carefully as he could, Harley peered out in an attempt to locate the source of the noise that had disrupted his relaxation. A ship sailed in seemingly out of nowhere, heading straight for the area in front of Harley's hiding spot.

"A Fallen skiff!" said Prism in a hushed tone.

The pair watched as the skiff hovered over the clearing and dropped something off before flying away. The thing was huge and hulking, entirely made of metal.

"That's a Fallen Walker!" said Prism, "It's said to take an entire fireteam of Guardians to destroy one. They haven't been seen in the Cosmodrome for _years_."

"Well...shit."

"Come on. We are transmatting back to the ship."

"What?! We can't just leave that thing here!"

"This is not a discussion! You're not wearing _any_ armor and you're in no way prepared to fight this thing."

Harley sighed. _She has a point. If I had my armor with me, there'd be nothing to stop me from fighting this thing._ "Fine." He waited for the transmat. When nothing happened, he shot his Ghost a questioning look.

"It's not working! The Fallen must have blocked the signal somehow!"

"Guess I'll have to fight it after all... Any tips?"

Prism sounded irritated as she responded. "Aim for the legs."

Harley nodded. "Gonna need my rocket launcher." A second later, it materialized in his hands. "Thanks."

Careful to remain hidden from both the Walker and the other Fallen around it, he took aim at one of its back legs. Bracing himself, he pulled the trigger. _Whoosh!_ The rocket flew through straight towards the Walker. _Boom!_ Harley saw it stumble as the projectile impacted its leg. Instantly, all the Fallen turned in his direction.

"Uh-oh."

"You better take it down quick."

He rushed to reload as the Walker clumsily lumbered in a circle, trying to find him. His second rocket hit one of its front legs. He was just patting himself on the back when a red line emanated from the Walker's head, landing directly on his hiding spot.

"It's targeting you!" shouted Prism, "Move!"

Harley rushed to the edge of the building, jumping off into the snow as the Walker fired. _Fwoom!_ The impact made the ground shake, causing him to falter as he ran towards the next closest building, shooting at the Fallen as he went. From that position, he fired off another rocket and managed to hit the Walker with his grenade before having to run again as it targeted him.

For the next few minutes, he sprinted between the two buildings as both the Walker and the Fallen tried to hit him. Harley reloaded his launcher again. "This is my last rocket."

"Then pray to the Traveler that's all you need," replied Prism.

Harley ducked out, aimed, and fired all in one motion. He watched as the Walker came crashing down, crushing several Dregs, and sat back against the side of the building in relief. After finishing off the remaining Fallen, he stepped out of his shelter and approached the Walker. He nudged one of its legs with his foot. "Pretty good for someone without armor."

Prism appeared at his shoulder, seemingly unimpressed. "Yes, well... You wouldn't have been laughing if I'd had to revive you."

Harley stood there for a few more moments, coming to terms with what he'd just done when Prism interrupted him.

"Eyes upâ€¦ I'm getting a transmission." Her shell expanded as she tried to boost the signal. Finally, a female voice came through.

" _You're interesting, Guardian. Different from the others..._ "

"What?" said Harley, "Others?"

" _I saw you on Mercury..._ _You have fought the Vex before. You know what they are capable of_."

"The Vex? What are they capable of?"

" _Well done facing the Walker, Guardian. Come and find me when you're ready_."

"Ready for what? Find you where?"

But there was no answer. Prism's shell closed. "The signal was dropped, but I managed to get some coordinates. Venus, Northern Hemisphere. Ishtar region."

"I need to meet her," said Harley.

"What? Why? For all we know, she could be working for the Darkness."

"She has answers. You heard her. She was there on Mercury with us."

"That's what worries me."

"Prism. I _need_ to go."

The Ghost sighed. "Fine. But not today. First, you're going to go back to the Tower and tell them that a Fallen Walker has been sighted in the Cosmodrome."

Harley shrugged. "I can do that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're finally getting somewhere! I'm assuming that you guys know who was talking to Harley. If not, then you'll find out soon enough. Another chapter will go up sometime this weekend. S/o to Frapple and Redtail53 for their kudos! Also many thanks to Frapple for the comment ;D
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Stories of an Exo who walks in the Darkness without a Ghost have long haunted the Tower. Legends say this anomaly dissolves in and out of the world, intangible and elusive, as if she is a visitor from somewhere beyond." - Grimoire of the Stranger**

* * *

 

"You did _what_?"

"I killed a Fallen Walker in the Cosmodrome."

Cayde put his face in his hands and sighed. After a moment, he looked up. "You're damn lucky Beauty and the Beast are in the North Tower right now. I don't wanna even picture how much they'd chew you out for goin' in there without armor. Fortunately, I've got a soft spot."

Harley laughed. "Why? 'Cause you did the same thing?"

Cayde waved him off. "The details ain't important... Anyway, when they get back here, we're gonna tell 'em that you were in the Cosmodrome and spotted a Walker. They don't have to know that you didn't wear armor, or even that you fought the thing, so long as you play it cool."

"Sure. I can do cool."

"That makes one of you."

Harley and Cayde turned in time to see Zavala and Ikora entering the room. Ikora looked from Cayde to Harley. "What is this about, Cayde?"

Harley cleared his throat. "I was down in the Cosmodrome earlier when a Fallen skiff dropped off a Walker."

Ikora and Zavala exchanged a worried look. Zavala spoke next, his tone grave. "A Fallen Walker has not been seen in the Cosmodrome for several years. Are you certain of what you saw?"

"De-hefinitely," said Harley.

"This is cause for concern," said Ikora, "If the Fallen are strengthening their foothold in the Cosmodrome..."

Zavala nodded. "We must think on this further." He turned to Harley. "Thank you for reporting this, Guardian. This may turn out to be crucial knowledge for the future."

"Welcome," said Harley, "Can I, uh, go now?"

Cayde nodded. "Yeah. Go get yourself a drink or somethin'. You earned it."

Harley nodded, making his exit.

* * *

"Are you really planning on getting a drink?" Prism asked.

Harley shook his head. "Got too much to think about."

"Isn't that usually the _reason_ for getting a drink?"

Harley laughed. "Not in this case." He began climbing the stairs to his floor. "Only thing I really wanna do is get to Venus."

Prism sighed. "That's right. You're still set on meeting that person on the comms."

"Yep."

"Why can't I convince you that that's a horrible idea?"

"Really, Prism, how could I _not_ investigate this? What kinda Hunter would I be if I just let it sit?"

"...I thought curiosity was supposed to be a Warlock trait," Prism grumbled as Harley unlocked the door to their quarters.

"C'mon! You're saying that _you_ wouldn't want to investigate a mysterious communication directed at you?"

"...Well, when you put it that way...I guess I can see why you're so determined. After all, she _did_ say she was on Mercury, which might be reason enough to see who she is."

"Exactly. Glad you're on board."

* * *

Prism watched Harley as he sat on his couch, listening to broadcasts on the radio. Suddenly he looked over at her.

"Prism?"

"Yes?"

"I have...a question." He hesitated, seemingly unsure how to phrase it.

"What is it?"

"Well, I've just been thinking...what if a Guardian dies of old age? Would they still be resurrected?"

Prism thought about the question for a few minutes. "I'm not sure," she said finally, "This is depressing, but no Guardian has lived long enough for anyone to find out. However, I _can_ give you a hypothetical answer... I would say yes. I'm almost certain that old age couldn't prevent a Ghost from being able to revive a Guardian."

"Then how would the Guardian continue to fight if they were stuck as an old person?"

"I don't think they'd have to stay old. Think about it. I regenerated you from nothing but bones. If I can do that, then it's more than possible for a Ghost to revitalize a Guardian. But again, this is completely hypothetical. I don't actually have anything to base my theories on." Harley nodded. "Was that your only question?"

He laughed. "Far from it. But I think my other ones can wait till some other time. I'm gonna head to bed. We have a trip to Venus tomorrow."

Prism nodded. "Goodnight, then, Harley."

"'Night Prism."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was real short, just a brief interlude before the good stuff. Luckily, I'm feeling generous today, so I'm gonna post another part *insert jazz hands here* See you in Part Sixteen!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	17. Part Sixteen - Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Venus has been reclaimed by the jungle... Here and there a line of light marks where ancient Vex spires, thought long-dead, have once more been energized." - Grimoire of Venus**

* * *

 

Harley rose early the next morning. After he'd put on his armor, he and Prism left their room to make their way down to the mess hall where Harley grabbed a muffin and a cup of coffee before heading to the Hangar. The plaza was shrouded with an early morning fog that felt cool against Harley's face as he crossed to the Hangar's entrance.

Amanda looked up, seemingly unsurprised to see them. "Headin' out early, are ya?"

"Yep. Business on Venus."

She nodded. "Well, don't let me stop you. Good luck, Harley."

He nodded his thanks before putting on his helmet and transmatting to the ship. It only took a few minutes before they were cruising through warp space. Harley marveled at the ship's speed. It may have been old and broken when they'd found it on Mercury, but it could definitely still move.

In almost no time at all, they had left warp space to meet the cloudy yellow surface of Venus. As the ship descended through the atmosphere, Harley gaped in awe. The surface of Venus was something he couldn't have pictured in his wildest dreams. He saw enormous mountains, bigger than Earth's. Blue fire streaked the sky as thunder boomed and lightning flashed in the distance. And perched on the coast along a body of water that glowed a burnt orange, were the remains of old buildings.

Prism noticed where he was looking. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Harley nodded. Venus was beautiful and more. And the structures of the city, though now only ruins, still stood tall and proud amongst the vivid landscape. "What city is that?"

"The colony was built by the Ishtar Collective. Records say they once studied ruins older than humanity itself."

"Whoa... What was the Ishtar Collective?"

"The Ishtar Academy was founded during the Golden Age. They were devoted to studying the Vex."

Harley recoiled. "Vex?"

"Yep."

"Then...does that mean the ruins they found were _Vex_ ruins?"

"I believe so... You know, it's really a miracle everything here wasn't lost during the Collapse." Harley nodded as he brought the ship closer to the surface. "Transmat in 3, 2, 1."

As the light faded, Harley looked around. To one side was a bright blue pool of something surrounded in yellow rocks. To the other was a dirt track. "Least they still have trails here."

"Yep. There should be a Guardian outpost down that way. We'll need to link the Sparrow."

Harley set off along the track. He only had to round the corner before coming almost right into the city.

"This is the Shattered Coast," said Prism, "There might be Vex here, so be careful."

"Don't need to tell _me_ twice," said Harley, drawing his hand cannon.

Sure enough, as he made his way forward, he came face to face with enemies. However, they weren't the ones he'd expected to see. "Fallen? What're _they_ doing here?"

"The Fallen are on almost every planet in our system... These look like they belong to the House of Winter. They shouldn't prove too much of a challenge for you."

She was right. In a matter of minutes, no Fallen were left and they continued forward. Finally, Harley arrived at the outpost, which turned out to be nothing more than pillars and a wall. Prism appeared at his side and floated over to the console. Soon, the message 'Vehicle Link Enabled' flashed across both Harley's HUD and his wrist interface.

"You can access the Sparrow now," said Prism unnecessarily, "It also warned me about the Vex and their teleporting abilities. Of course, we already knew that."

"Yeah. Probably better than anyone else 'round here...if there _are_ any Guardians on Venus."

"Actually, there _are_ , as it happens... None in the immediate area, though."

"Figures... Where to now?"

"Now we head to our 'friend's' coordinates and find out why she's brought us here."

"Sounds good to me." He mounted his Sparrow and took off.

* * *

 

Further up the coast, Harley was met with the sight of a strange statue. It seemed to be a winged woman, and she was holding something above her in her right hand. "What's up with the statue?"

"Not now," said his Ghost, "You've got more pressing problems to worry about."

"Whatcha mean?" He turned. "Oh."

A group of Fallen stood in front of the steps that lead to a huge building, almost as if they were guarding it. "This shouldn't take too long..."

Harley's words proved true as he took down every single Fallen with one shot each. "Remember when this stuff was actually challenging?"

Prism sighed. "You're jinxing yourself."

Harley scoffed. "Please. I don't believe in jinxes."

"You will soon enough when things suddenly stop being easy."

"We'll see about that... Do we go inside?"

"Yep."

"...Shoulda seen that coming."

As he entered, he immediately noticed a tunnel off to his left that seemed to lead under the building. He groaned. "Don't tell me we're gonna have to go in there."

"We're going to have to go in there."

"Wonderful."

He entered the tunnel, ending up in a surprisingly large space under the old building. It was filled with moss-covered, crumbling stone and metal crates. Pipes lined the walls, plants hung down from the ceiling, and a foot of water covered the floor. Harley turned the corner, then stopped dead. "Prism..."

"Yes?"

"My PD just lit up like a light show. Tell me it's not-"

"Vex? Unfortunately, it was. And it looks like we're surrounded... What was that you were saying about this not being challenging?"

Harley groaned as he began to move forward again. The tunnel soon opened up, and the first thing Harley noticed was a pillar of intersecting light beams in the middle of the floor. Past that, he saw the same statue he'd spotted outside. Balconies ranged up the walls on either side. "What is this place?"

"This is where the coordinates lead... Let me take a look at that light." She appeared in front of him, scanning it. "Huh. It's a conflux... A conflux of nonbaryonic streams. They're going somewhere, not sure where though."

Just then, a sphere of light appeared in front of the statue, accompanied by grey smoke.

"Crap!" said Harley.

Prism vanished. "I'd advise finding some cover."

Harley backed away to the opposite wall. He saw steps leading up to the second level. "Let's get to some higher ground!" He ran up them, then looked over the side of the balcony.

A half-dozen Vex Goblins looked back at him.

He started firing at them, aiming for the all too familiar white spot on their abdomens. After they were dead, he paused to reload, seeing more teleporting in.

"I feel like I'd better tell you that this is a Darkness Zone. Just so you're prepared," said Prism.

"Nice of you to mention it _now_ ," Harley replied, shooting down more Vex. He jumped as a red energy beam nearly hit him. "They're up here too!"

He aimed down the balcony, taking them out before spinning and killing the ones on the other side. He reloaded again. "They just keep coming! This might almost be _worse_ than anything we faced on Mercury."

He shot down several more, switching to his sniper rifle to get the ones farther away, and took down some closer ranged ones with his knife. He cursed as he was almost shot while retrieving it from one of the Goblins' bodies. He would've used his grenade more, but he'd discovered that summoning it too many times in a row drained his energy, so he tried to reserve it for the tougher Vex, like the Minotaurs. "I'm lucky the Minotaurs don't come up here," he told Prism, reloading as another wave of grey smoke appeared. "It's like there's more of them each time!"

More Goblins teleported to his balcony. He fired into them, taking down several before his gun clicked, signaling an empty chamber. "Damnit! I can't reload if they keep coming at me!" he yelled as he stabbed two more.

"Then cross to the other balcony!" said his Ghost.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that? In case you haven't noticed, there's _three_ Minotaurs down there now!"

"Then jump across!"

"You kidding? I'll never make it!"

"Just trust me and jump!"

"Fine!" Harley turned, preparing to leap. "This is crazy... Here goes nothing!"

He sprang forward into the air. To his astonishment, not only did he not fall, he somehow managed to bridge the gap, landing on the other balcony. "Holy shit! How'd I do that?"

"Hunters have the ability to jump higher and longer. You can also do a second jump while in the air, but now is not the right time to practice."

"You got _that_ right!" Harley shot down the Vex that had been next to him just seconds before. "Prism, we got any heavy ammo left?"

"Two rockets. I suggest you make them count."

Harley's rocket launcher materialized. He loaded it, then took aim at one of the Minotaurs. He pulled the trigger, then immediately moved to a different position as they fired at him. He saw the Minotaur go down in a fiery explosion. He shot down a second one and Prism dematerialized his rocket launcher, freeing his hands. He pulled his hand cannon. It took three shots to break through the Minotaur's shield, then three more to bring it down. Harley let out a breath of relief as he holstered his gun. He made his way back to the ground floor and approached the dead Minotaur.

Prism appeared next to him as he kicked at it. "That was a lot of Vex."

Harley smiled a humorless smile. "Not as many as we had to fight on Mercury."

"True..."

"Well fought, Guardian."

Harley whirled around, raising his hand cannon. Someone had appeared behind them. A female Exo with a yellow gun slung across her back. She also appeared to be dressed like a Hunter, though she wore no helmet. "Huh. You're here after all."

She nodded. "We haven't got much time."

"Time for what? Who are you?"

"And why have you been watching us?" Prism chimed in.

"I don't even have time to explain why I don't have time to explain."

"That's not much of an ans-"

The Stranger suddenly turned her head to the side, as though speaking to someone else. "I will. I will. I know."

Harley shot Prism a confused look. "Will what?" the Ghost asked.

The Stranger looked at her. "I wasn't talking to you, little light."

"...I'm a Ghost actually," said Prism, sounding slightly offended.

The Stranger looked at Harley. "Many Guardians fell. Strong ones. But you made it here." She turned aside again. "Yes, I'm listening. They _are_ here, with me."

Prism floated closer. "Who's she talking to?"

The Stranger looked back up at Harley, pushing Prism away. "You need my help, Guardian."

"With what? Was that why you brought us here?"

The Stranger walked over to one of the fallen Goblins. To Harley's surprise, it still made slight movements, its red eye flickering. _That can't be right. I'm pretty sure we got them all..._ "Are you a Guardian, by any chance?" If so, she'd be the first one he's met outside of the Tower.

She looked back for a second before returning her attention to the Goblin, putting her foot on its abdomen. "No," she said, "I was not forged in Light... But I believe where our paths cross, ground could _break_." Upon this last word, she pressed down with her foot, silencing the Goblin. She turned back to them. "Have you heard of the Black Garden?"

Harley was about to tell her no when he was preempted by Prism. "We've heard the legends." He cast her a 'what the hell' glance before looking back at the Stranger.

"The greatest threat to us all lies there where these machines are born... You know this better than most. You have traveled the desolation of Mercury... Find the Black Garden. Rip out its heart. Only then will your Traveler begin to heal."

"Where _is_ the Black Garden?" Harley asked, "Can you help us find it?"

The Stranger shook her head. "My path's my own. I can't."

Harley was about to protest when he was once again cut off by his Ghost. "We'll have to talk to the Awoken." He shot her a puzzled look before the Stranger spoke again.

"Ah, yes. The Awoken. Out there, wavering between the Light and the Dark. A side should always be taken, little light. Even if it's the wrong side." She turned aside, tilting her head. "Too late, returning. How many?" She turned away from them, drawing her gun. "Hold position, kill the engines, and don't let them find you." She strode forward, seeming to fade out of existence.

Harley looked at Prism. "I don't think I understood even _half_ of what just happened."

She sighed. "We need to see the Awoken. That much is clear."

"Ok... How do we find them? You said they had a settlement in the Asteroid Belt, right?"

She nodded. "I also said they were unwelcoming of outsiders... I'd almost prefer to stay here with the Vex."

Harley snorted. "I wouldn't... Can you access the ship?"

"I should be able to. The Vex aren't blocking the signal anymore."

"Then let's get out of here."

"Prepare for transmat."

Harley was more than glad to be back in his ship, no longer surrounded by the bodies of destroyed Vex.

"Shall we return to the Tower?" Prism asked almost hopefully.

Harley considered it for a moment before shaking his head. "No. Let's go see the Awoken."

His Ghost sighed. "Fine. I'm warning you, though. They are not the most friendly of people."

"Yeah, you told me that. But we have to do this, so there's no point in delaying it."

"Very well then, to the Reef."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! Harley's been sent down the Black Garden questline. The next part won't be posted until around Wednesday or Thursday. In the meantime, comments are appreciated :)
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	18. Part Seventeen - Politics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"The fate of those escaping Earth during the Collapse was once unknown. But here drifts a graveyard of lost ships, and among them - the Realm of the Awoken. Ruled by a Queen few have seen, they have long avoided contact with the City." - Grimoire of the Reef**

* * *

 

It took them a bit longer to get to the Reef than it had getting to Venus. Normally, Harley would've talked to pass the time, but the meeting they'd had with the Stranger had given him a lot to think about. The Exo had given him more questions than she'd answered. _She still didn't tell me what she was doing on Mercury_ , he realized. Hopefully, they'd get another opportunity to talk to her, but she made it sound like they'd be busy for a while. Harley had no idea what the Black Garden was. He'd tried asking Prism about it, but she avoided answering, telling him to wait until they'd met the Awoken. Just as he considered bringing it up again, they left warp space. "Whoa..."

The Asteroid Belt was vast and seemed to glow with a purplish light. He steered the ship through a minefield of debris. Ships, stations, both those and more were there, adding to the conglomeration of twisted scrap metal and destroyed structures that made up the Reef. "Is this all from the Collapse?"

Prism nodded. "This is what remains of every ship that was able to escape Earth."

"It's like some kinda graveyard... How could anyone live out here?"

"No one knows how the Awoken survived, nor how they continued to do so for so long."

Harley jumped as a voice suddenly spoke over the comm system. " _Intruder bearing 127, you have crossed into the realm of the Awoken. State your business or be fired on by order of the Queen._ "

He gave a nervous laugh. "You were right about them not being friendly."

"Of course I was... You'd better say something unless you want to end up as _part_ of the Reef."

"Um... We're from Earth and we came to...seek the council of the Awoken." There was a long pause. _That's not good. Pretty sure they've decided to kill us._ Then, he got a response. " _Conform to my trajectory. Any deviation will be taken as an act of aggression._ "

Harley sighed in relief, watching as two ships drew up on either side. "We've made it in."

Prism sighed. "Why does that not make me feel any better?"

* * *

Harley strolled along the walkway, trying not to let his apprehension show. Difficult, given that he and Prism were being closely followed by two Awoken Guards. He saw a throne at the end of the path, sitting atop a raised platform. A lone figure stood in front of it. Harley frowned, confused. _Pretty sure the Queen isn't a guy..._ He looked at Prism, who must've read the question in his eyes, because she replied, "That's the Prince of the Awoken." Harley nodded in understanding.

As they neared the throne, the Prince addressed them, his yellow eyes flashing in contempt. "So...these are the trespassers demanding an audience."

Harley wanted to point out that they hadn't _demanded_ anything, but he decided that now wasn't the time to anger the Awoken Prince, especially when he already looked pissed off. "We didn't _mean_ to trespass."

"The Queen herself judges who may or may not enter the realm." The Prince smirked, black hair swaying as he walked down the steps of the throne. "Me? I see no reason why she should be available for whatever washes up at the Reef. But here we are."

 _Good thing this place doesn't have walls, cause I don't think they'd be able to contain this guy's attitude._ "Look, we came to ask for _help_ , so-"

The rest of Harley's sentence trailed off, forgotten as he stared in alarm at the two Fallen Vandals that had just appeared from behind the throne. They stepped toward him threateningly, pikes clutched in the hands of their upper arms. Harley barely registered Prism's warning cry before he reacted, pushing back one of the Guards and grabbing the gun from her holster.

The Prince reacted almost twice as fast, unsheathing a knife and holding it to Harley's throat while catching his wrist with his other hand. Harley almost growled at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other Guard raising her gun, as well as Prism looking back and forth between the Prince and himself.

The tense standoff was shattered as another figure emerged, moving with such assurance that she _had_ to be the Queen. Her glowing blue eyes appraised them as she crossed in front of the Vandals. "It is afraid of the Fallen."

Her voice was melodious and unrushed, though there was a certain edge to it. Harley got the impression that the Queen was capable of immense power, should she choose to use it.

She continued to speak as she moved to recline on her throne. "It does not understand these ones are mine."

_What the hell? How can she control the Fallen? And what's with calling me 'it?'_

As the Queen sat down, the Vandals lifted their pikes and stood at ease. The Guard took her gun back from Harley, yanking it out of his hand and holstering it. The Prince removed his blade from Harley's throat and released his grip on Harley's wrist. He turned to the Queen, inclining his head. "Apologies, Your Grace." He stepped back towards the throne, his eyes returning to Harley.

Harley looked away from him, directing his attention to the Queen. "I'm a Guardian from Earth. We're looking for the Black Garden."

"Why?" the Prince asked sharply.

"So we can destroy the _Darkness_." _Duh._

The Prince looked unimpressed. "You want to turn it into a battleground... How unimaginative."

Harley wanted to roll his eyes. _You need to get off your high horse and remove the stick from your ass._ ...He wisely refrained from saying that out loud. "Do you know where it is?"

This time it was the Prince who looked like he wanted to give _him_ an eye roll. "Everyone knows _where_ it is. The hard part is getting in."

"Well then can you _help_ us?" Harley was pretty sure that by the way the Prince's eyes narrowed, he could hear the sarcasm in the question.

The Prince advanced towards him. "And _why_ would we do that?"

Now Harley was _really_ fighting the urge to smack him upside the head. He might have too if he hadn't been interrupted.

"The Queen requests council with her brother."

The Prince glared at him then turned, walked up to the throne, and knelt by the Queen's side. Harley frowned as he watched them talk among themselves, glancing in his direction. Finally, they seemed to finish.

The Prince smirked at Harley, then turned back to his sister, his voice raised slightly so Harley was able to make out his words. "Yes, that's good. That's good... Why not?" He stood and approached once more, the smirk on his face and in his tone as he addressed Harley. "We'll make you a key. How's that? All we need is the head of a Vex Gate Lord."

 _A_ what _from a_ what _?_

Prism spoke up. "A...Gate Lord...um, we-"

Harley interrupted, narrowing his eyes at the Prince. "Why do you want a _Vex head_?"

The Prince's voice turned mocking. "Oh, we don't... And I doubt we'll _get one,_ either. But it's your only hope of getting into the Black Garden."

Harley stared the Prince right in the eye. "We _will_ come back." He made it sound like a challenge.

"Or die on Venus. Either way."

Harley glared at him one last time before he turned and left, Prism following behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wasn't planning on uploading a chapter today, but I've been on somewhat of an inspired streak so I managed to get a lot of writing done. Also, this chapter is fairly short and is mostly made up of in-game dialogue (s/o to Bungie). I basically only had to add detail and reactions, so I decided I'd upload it today and then do Part Eighteen tomorrow. By the way, this cutscene is one of my favorite ones, so I was really excited about including it.
> 
> My question to you guys is: What's your favorite cutscene from Destiny? 
> 
> Also, major thanks to SpartanEra and Slashseeker for the kudos :)
> 
> Until tomorrow!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	19. Part Eighteen - Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Warlock scholars believe that Gate Lords regulate traffic between Vex gates, and that their minds contain certain codes that might open the way into forbidden realms." - Grimoire of Zydron, Gate Lord**

* * *

 

Prism sighed as their ship approached the surface of Venus. "I wish you'd give me a heads up before taking on dangerous missions."

Harley snorted. "Why? You'd still have to go on them?"

"It's the _principle_! As your Ghost, I should know-"

"Look, can we do this later? In case you haven't noticed, we have a Gate Lord to find...whatever that is."

Prism's response was set aside as the ship neared the surface and Harley geared up. After the transmat beam had cleared away and Harley had his Sparrow heading towards the Ember Caves, Prism finally voiced her argument.

"You do realize that you'd be utterly lost without me, right?"

"Nah. I know how to find the Citadel. I _do_ look at maps once in a while."

"I meant in _general_. For instance, you're off to kill a Gate Lord and bring back its head to the Awoken and you don't even know what a Gate Lord _is_."

"Ok then, Miss Know-It-All. What's a Gate Lord?"

His Ghost faltered. Clearly, she hadn't been prepared for this line of questioning. Harley was pretty sure she'd assumed he'd continue down the 'you'd be lost without me' road. "Well, um, they... We don't really have a lot on them if you must know."

Harley rolled his eyes but generously decided not to comment on that. "What _do_ you know?"

"They're said to be three stories tall. They protect the realms the Vex keep locked out of time... Time? That can't be right. There must be something wrong with my database..."

Harley's interest and suspicion were aroused, but he decided to leave that for later. "Well, at least we know they're three stories tall. Sounds like a fun time."

* * *

An irritated Harley stormed toward Campus 9. He'd had to fight off Vex in both the Citadel and the Waking Ruins, and was not happy about it. Prism had been trying to cheer him up.

"At least we _found_ a conflux in the Citadel. I wasn't sure one would be there."

Harley shot down a few more Vex before replying. "How far are the Endless Steps?"

"Not too much farther... However, you should know that I had to mess with the transfer gates in this area to find the Gate Lord."

Harley was instantly put on guard. "What are you talking about?"

"Let's just put it this way: you're going to have your hands full."

He scoffed. "My life in a single sentence."

He strode forward and spotted a metal circle framing a glowing purple portal.

"That's a Gate," said Prism helpfully, "They're waking... The Vex are going to keep coming unless you find a way to shut them down."

On cue, three Goblins materialized through the Gate, their red eyes fixing on him. "Wonderful," said Harley, making quick work of the Goblins, "How am I supposed to shut it down?"

"No idea."

"Only thing I have is my gun..." Experimentally, Harley shot at the Gate a couple times. It began to smoke.

" _That's_ working. Keep shooting it!"

Harley emptied his hand cannon into the Gate until the light coming from it imploded, leaving only a blackened frame behind. He continued down the path, seeing another Gate up ahead. This time, he grabbed his sniper rifle and hit it from a distance, taking it down in three shots.

_Not a bad strategy, taking them down from a safe distance. Guess I'll keep doing that._

* * *

 

By the time they arrived at the Steps, Harley was nearing the point of exhaustion. His cloak had several new scorch marks and he'd run out of ammunition for his sniper. He took out the Vex guarding the steps and made his way to the top. A colossal Gate sat at the top, seemingly inactive.

"I guess you're going to have to get inside that ring."

"Huh?" Harley looked around, uncomprehending. He looked down. "Oh." A ring sat on the ground in front of him, embedded into the stone in front of the Gate. "Here goes nothing..."

He stepped into it. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a white grid rose from the ring on all sides, only stopping when it had reached his chest. Looking up, he saw a blinding flash from the Gate in front of him as the shape of the Gate Lord gradually formed and dropped to the ground in front of him, screeching angrily when it noticed him.

"Is that-"

"Yep. That's a Gate Lord..."

Harley rolled to the side as the Gate Lord fired at him. _It's like a larger, angrier Minotaur._ The thought brought him no comfort. He shot at it with his hand cannon, firing for all he was worth. Unfortunately, he only got off four shots before the gun clicked, its chamber empty. "Damnit! That was the last of my ammo! Do we have any rockets?"

"Two shots," said Prism, "And you might want to move."

Harley looked up, rolling away with a yelp as the Gate Lord's shot nearly took his head off.

"Rocket launcher, please." The weapon appeared and Harley's fingers closed around it, drawing comfort from the weapon. He loaded it as fast as he could, ducking behind a stone wall to avoid yet another blast. When it was ready, he leaned out, propped it on one knee, and fired the two rockets in quick succession. Both impacted the Gate Lord's head, causing it to stumble backward.

Harley's rocket launcher vanished. He looked down at himself, trying to find anything he could use. He summoned a grenade, hurling it into the Gate Lord's abdomen, it stumbled again, and Harley ducked back to avoid it's returning shot. "Looks like I'm stuck with just my knife... Prism, could you scan it and see how weak it is?"

There was a moment's pause before she spoke. "You seemed to have done quite a bit of damage. A couple more shots to the abdomen might bring it down."

Harley laughed. "You kidding me? I don't _have_ a couple shots. I could throw my knife, but it's my only one." He could hear the clanking of the Gate Lord's heavy footsteps as it got closer. "There's only one option..."

Prism seemed to know what he was thinking. "Are you crazy?! If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, it's not an option, it's _suicide_."

"My knife is the only weapon I have left. If I can't throw it..."

"You'd _better_ not."

"It's the only way to win."

"You're exhausted! You're going to get yourself killed!"

"So? You can bring me back, right?"

"In a _Darkness Zone_?"

Harley shook his head. "Look, I know what I'm doing. I'm smaller and faster. He'll never see it coming."

"Harley Hayden, you are _not_ going to stab that Gate Lord!"

Harley smirked. "Watch me."

He took a deep breath, gathering his energy, then jumped out from behind the wall and charged straight at the Gate Lord. The Gate Lord, which had only been a few feet away, seemed surprised by Harley's sudden rush, though it wore off quickly. As he approached, it swung its gun over to meet him. Harley saw it, but he knew he couldn't stop now. He leaped at the Gate Lord, slashing his knife. He barely knew what he was doing, completely focused on the mechanical menace trying to kill him. In a blur of motion, he took out its legs, causing it to fall to its knees. It swung at him, but he dodged, whirling away before twisting through its guard and stabbing it in the stomach. Maybe it was his imagination, but Harley thought he felt a burst of power run through his knife as he impaled the Gate Lord. He looked up, seeing the light in its eye dim as it started to fall toward him. Realizing the danger, Harley scrambled backward as the huge Vex came crashing to the ground. He straightened up, feeling as though he hadn't slept in a week, and just stared at the Gate Lord's body, panting.

Prism appeared next to him. "Holy Traveler... Harley, do you realize what you just _did_?"

Harley sheathed his knife. "Killed it."

"Not only did you kill it, you entered a _Bladedancer's Trance_!"

Harley furrowed his eyebrows. "A...what?"

"One of the potential abilities of a Hunter. There are three abilities that can be unlocked by each class...no one has unlocked all three in recent memory, but the Hunters' are Gunslinger, Bladedancer, and Nightstalker...although there haven't been many of _those_."

"But what did I actually _do_?"

Prism sighed. "That's a question you should save for Cayde... All I know was that you were able to harness your Light in such a way that you could defeat the Gate Lord with just your knife."

Harley nodded, resolving to ask Cayde about it when he returned to the Tower. He refocused his attention. "So it's dead. What now?"

"We bring its head to the Queen, and we get the key to the Black Garden."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how many people thought Harley would end up a Bladedancer? Well, he killed the Gate Lord in any case so in Part Nineteen he'll be heading back to the Reef. That part should be up this weekend and then the week after that is Thanksgiving break, which should give me more time to finish the later chapters. I guess we'll see! 
> 
> My question for y'all this time is: What was your favorite DLC from Destiny? (Mine's The Taken King, though Rise Of Iron was pretty fun too)
> 
> See you guys in Part Nineteen!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	20. Part Nineteen - Passage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Beautiful lethality, relentless style." - Grimoire of the Bladedancer**

* * *

 

Harley strode down the walkway to the Queen's throne, unaccompanied by Guards this time. Both the Queen and the Prince were there. They looked up as Harley approached.

The Queen raised an eyebrow. "It is alive," she said, sounding mildly surprised, "...and still has its ball."

Prism whirred, offended.

The Prince smirked at them, reminding Harley of how much he wanted to punch him in his stupid smug face. "There is no shame in running away, Guardian," he said, voice dripping with sarcastic mockery, "Apart from the cowardice and failure of it, it's an excellent strategy."

It was Harley's turn to smirk. "Who says we ran?"

The Queen and the Prince exchanged a brief glance of confusion. "Was no Gate Lord slain, brother?"

"No, we _definitely_ slayed a Gate Lord," said Harley, "Prism..." Prism transmatted the head into the throne room. It landed with a clang in front of them. Harley folded his arms, directing his smirk at the Prince. "Tell us where to find the Black Garden."

The Prince sounded sulky as he replied with a "Hmph." Then "They don't even know where it is."

The Queen studied Harley for a few seconds. "Let us tell them," she decided, "Search the Gate Lord for that which gains them entrance."

The Prince looked back sharply. "Why?! If you wish them certain death, just kill them here!"

The Queen arched an eyebrow, unimpressed by his outburst. "Often when we guess at other's motives, we reveal only our own."

The Price walked closer to her. "My motive is simply loyalty, to a people," he knelt, "a Queen...and a sister."

She remained impassive. "Then, please. Take what is required."

The Prince rose, glowering at Harley as he approached the Gate Lord's head. Drawing his knife, he plunged it into the Gate Lord, ripping out the eye. He sheathed his knife and regarded the eye clutched in his hand, smirking as its glow faded completely. He looked back at Harley, voice oozing false sympathy. "Dead, unfortunately. A wasted journey, I'm afraid." The last part, he directed at The Queen, who was still watching them.

"Perhaps, but I think these ones resourceful... We gift it. In sympathy for their Traveler."

The Prince turned back, scowling. He stared at them. As he met Harley's eyes, some of the anger seemed to fade from his own. "Mars. Eighty-Four North, Thirty-Two East, Meridian Bay." He tossed the eye towards them. Harley barely managed to get his hand up in time to intercept it.

The Queen rose, regarding them with a look Harley couldn't place. "I have shown you benevolence, Guardian. Should the Awoken ever need an ally I will call on you. And expect you to answer."

The Prince spoke, the hostility back in his face and tone. "She's saying you owe us, Guardian."

"I understand." Harley looked at the Queen, inclining his head, "Your Grace." With his prize held firmly in hand, Harley turned and began walking away, Prism at his shoulder.

The Prince, it seemed, couldn't resist calling after them one last time. "Good luck!" he said tauntingly before lowering his voice, "Getting through the Exclusion Zone."

Harley continued walking, not glancing back even once.

* * *

"Can you believe that guy?" Harley demanded as the ship sailed through warp space. "I've never met anyone that pretentious."

"Well, he _is_ the Prince of the Awoken," Prism hedged.

Harley laughed. "Doesn't earn him the right to be a jerk. We'll show him. Once we bust into that Garden and kill it, he won't be laughing anymore."

"I suppose."

"Should I set a course for Mars?" Harley sounded a bit too eager. "We'll sail into that Exclusion Zone and show 'em who's boss."

"I believe heading to the Tower would be a more...prudent decision at this point."

"What? Why?"

"For one thing, you're still completely out of ammo."

"Darn. You're right about that. I forgot."

"Besides, I think you should really talk to Cayde about the-"

"The Bladedancer thing. Yeah, yeah, I know.. Jeez, don't you ever get tired of being right?"

"Not so far," said Prism smugly.

Harley sighed and adjusted their course. "There. We're making for the Tower now. Hope you're happy. Still gonna take us a few minutes to get there, though."

"Then we have some time to devise a strategy for our trip to Mars."

Harley groaned.

* * *

The Tower was much the same as it had been when they'd left for Venus to locate the Stranger. Harley still hasn't seen any Guardians at any point on his walk from the Hangar to the Hall of Guardians. The Vanguards looked up as he and Prism entered. Harley furrowed his eyebrows at the signs of relief he read in their expressions and the slight sagging of their shoulders.

Cayde, as expected, was the first to speak. "It's about time! That was one helluva break you took, kid. You were off the grid for almost three days! Where've ya been?"

 _Ohhh. They probably thought I died,_ Harley realized, _Oops_. "Yeah...sorry about that. Isn't easy to keep track of time in space."

Cayde nodded, accepting that. Zavala and Ikora turned back to their work. "Any particular reason you're stoppin' by other than lettin' your bosses know that you did not, in fact, get ambushed by a group of Dregs?"

"Actually, yeah... There's been a...development." Harley filled him in on the mysterious power he'd summoned and how it made his knife crackle with energy.

Cayde nodded again. "I see. Bladedancer, then? Huh... Yeah, just be sure to always point it towards the thing you wanna kill. And never use it near a terminal. You'll never get that data back."

"How many Bladedancers are there?"

"Out of the Guardians we have, about a third are Hunters. Out of _them_ , I'd say maybe a 60-40 split between Gunslingers and Bladedancers."

Harley nodded. "You have any pointers?"

Cayde shrugged. "Practice makes perfect, kid. Apart from that... I'd say it's all in the wrist." He mimicked flourishing his wrist in an impression of a Bladedancer.

" _Great_. Thanks, Cayde."

"No problem. Say, where ya headin' off to anyway?"

Harley smirked. "Gotta pick up some more ammo, then I'm off to bed." He turned, beginning to walk away.

"Hey, not fair! You know what I was askin'!"

Harley smiled as he ascended the steps back to the plaza. After a quick stop at the gunsmith's to buy more ammo, Harley grabbed some food from the mess hall, eating it as he made his way to his quarters. Prism floated silently next to him, not speaking a word until they entered their room.

"So you still want to go to Mars tomorrow?"

Harley scoffed as he began to remove his armor. "Where else would we go? The Black Garden's not gonna kill itself."

"I know, I was just hoping for a break in between these insane missions... You know, the Vanguard won't be happy when they find out you didn't tell them about this."

"That's when my brilliant plan comes into action. If I kill the Black Garden _before_ I tell them, they won't have a reason to be mad." He finished taking off his armor and undersuit and stepped into the bathroom for a shower.

Prism hovered over to the dresser. "What a tactical genius you are..." she said sarcastically, "I personally think you're underestimating Commander Zavala's love of protocol. But don't mind me, I'm just a Ghost."

"Come on, it'll be fine! Soon, all this 'Black Garden' stuff will be far behind us."

Prism settled on the dresser as she prepared to power down. "I hope you're right, Harley."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter down. Next stop, Mars! Soon, we'll be getting into the really interesting stuff. I have big plans. I'll let you guys decide if that's exciting or ominous. Anyway, s/o to those who commented n' stuff!
> 
> Question: How many of the raids have you guys done and which one was your favorite?
> 
> Laterz!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	21. Part Twenty - Ares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"The wind wiped away our footprints. When the storm had passed, we found something shining beneath the sand." - Grimoire of Mars**

* * *

The Sun was in the process of beginning its arc across the sky when Harley's ship exited the Hangar and broke through Earth's atmosphere. "Setting a trajectory for Mars," said Harley as they entered warp space. "Y'know, I was thinking of naming this ship..."

"Really?" said Prism, "What are you going to call it?"

"No idea. But it'd be nice for her to have a name. After all, she's been with us since Mercury."

"How about 'The Wandering Star?' Or just 'Star' for short?"

"I wasn't talking about a _romantic_ name, Prism."

"It's _poetic_ , and I think it fits. What were _you_ going to name it? Fly-Fast McGee?"

" _Please_. I have more creativity than _that..._ Doesn't matter though. You've already named her anyway."

Prism did a flip. "You mean you're actually going to let me name it _The Wandering Star_?"

"Sure. It's good for your self-esteem if I let you win _sometimes_." Prism was about to retort when Harley stopped her. "Hold that thought. We're about to make entry."

Sure enough, the ship exited warp space and their eyes were met with the sight of a dusky reddish-orange planet. The newly christened 'Star' entered the atmosphere and they glided over the Martian surface, weaving through desolate buildings littering the surface.

"So where do jerkwad's coordinates lead?" Harley asked.

"Just a second... They seem to put the gate to the Black Garden near the lost city of Freehold."

"Cities on Mars? The more I learn, the crazier everything seems."

"Not so much anymore. Freehold's been buried in the sands since the Collapse. Also, the Cabal occupy most of the planet and no one gets through their Exclusion Zone."

' _Good luck! ...Getting through the Exclusion Zone.'_ Harley's jaw set in determination. "We will."

The Star hovered over an empty area as Harley and Prism transmatted out. Then the ship took off. "Great. The gate is miles from here and the Cabal have a lock on orbital communication. That means if you want your Sparrow, we'll have to break into one of their bunkers and disable the system."

"Off to a nice start, then."

"Yep... There should be a bunker just up ahead."

Harley started walking. "So who are the Cabal?"

"They arrived on Mars at some point in the Dark Age. They're said to be 800 pounds and highly militarized. Apparently, they blow up planets and moons for getting in their way... Just so you know."

"Seeing as I'm neither a planet or a moon, I reckon I'll be just fine."

Prism sighed exasperatedly. Harley chuckled as he came upon the bunker, which had a door that locked electronically. Prism appeared next to him, scanning it. The lock opened with no resistance.

"Hmm. That was easier than I thought it would be." She vanished again.

Harley took a tentative step forward. "Are there any in here?"

"Yep. You'd better avoid them until we know more about them."

"You want me to avoid them? _No_ problem." He entered the bunker. " _Looks_ empty."

"Looks can be deceiving. Just be careful."

Harley headed down the hallway, making a couple turns. Then, they walked into a room with an active computer terminal.

"Good. We found one." Prism appeared again and began to hack it, muttering to herself as she went. "Access key? I don't need an access key. DOS is more complicated."

Harley jumped as an alarm began to blare. Red lights flashed along the walls.

"Uh-oh," said Prism.

"What happened?!"

"I _may_ have initiated a failsafe?"

Harley groaned, drawing his hand cannon. The huge door to the side of the terminal began to open and Harley saw a ship drop off several heavily armored looking Cabal. Prism had disappeared once again as they began to fire.

"Talk about a failsafe... The ones with shields are Phalanxes. The others are called Legionnaires."

"Wonderful. Now I can send them a postcard! Any tips?"

"Aim for the head? That usually works."

"Great."

Harley began shooting. To his surprise, headshots brought them down almost instantly. The hardest ones to hit were the Phalanxes, who spent most of their time behind their shields. _My knife would be completely useless against those._ Finally, he found a way to circumvent the shields by firing at their legs, causing them to drop. Then it was simple enough to take them out with a headshot. Soon, the ground was littered with dead Cabal. Prism reappeared to neutralize the alarm and link the Sparrow. 'Vehicle Link Enabled.'

"Thanks, Prism."

The Ghost vanished. "You're welcome."

* * *

Harley exited the bunker and mounted his Sparrow, sending it hurtling in the direction of the Gate's coordinates. Along the way, he passed several battles between the Cabal and the Vex. _I guess it makes sense that the Vex want to protect the Black Garden._ Prism seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"The Cabal appear to be fighting the Vex... Maybe they know something about the Gate."

Harley hadn't thought of that. "How would we find out?"

"There are a few outposts nearby that we can check out. One should be up ahead. I can get into their systems, see if they know anything."

They came upon the outposts, manned by a large group of Cabal. With a bit of luck, as well as help from several mines nearby, Harley was able to clear them out relatively quickly. They located the access post, but unfortunately, a key was needed to get in. Harley spun around as a ship dropped off more Cabal.

"What should I do?"

"Find who's in charge and take their key!"

He nodded. "Simple and to the point."

He hurled his grenade, taking out a large cluster of Phalanxes before using his Bladedancer ability to kill the commander, finding an access key on his corpse.

"There's another outpost near the Gate," said Prism.

"This key better work."

Harley got back on his Sparrow and soon found himself at a much larger Cabal outpost. With Prism's help, he located a terminal with a holographic image of the Gate.

"Let's see what they know..." Prism came out and made short work of analyzing the data. "Hmm. It seems the Cabal managed to penetrate the Vex cognition mesh."

Harley looked across to the Gate, starting with surprise when it surged with electricity, attempting to open. However, the portal seemed to collapse, making a thunderous crash that echoed across the canyon. None of that helped Harley's nerves.

"Did you find anything?"

"A lot, actually. I don't think they know what the Gate is... But if we're going to wake the Gate Lord's eye and get into the Garden, it looks like we'll have to go through the Cabal."

"And here I thought it couldn't get any better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another part done with! I'm hoping to get Part Twenty-One out tomorrow since I have a bit more time on my hands. Thank you to Katargo and ShakenVeil for the kudos!
> 
> My question for this part is: Who has Destiny 2 and if so, how far have you gotten?
> 
> See you guys tomorrow on Part Twenty-One!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	22. Part Twenty-One - Rubicon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legend says that Mercury was once a garden world. Now it's surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"I think you could follow a trail of shattered worlds all the way to their home." - Grimoire of the Cabal**

* * *

 

Harley's Sparrow zoomed through the Scablands. "I hope you have some ideas, cause I sure don't."

"As a matter of fact, I do," said Prism smugly, "The Cabal have a Warbase... They call it Firebase Rubicon. Basically, it's sitting on a Vex spire that connects to the Gate. If we free the Spire, we can charge the Gate Lord's eye. However, the Warbase is where the Cabal will be strongest... I hope you're ready."

"I'm not about to let the Cabal stand in the way," said Harley.

"Good, because we're here. Ready to fight your way into a Warbase?"

Harley dismounted and walked forward towards the huge structure, drawing his gun. "More than ready."

"Keep on the move. I need to locate the Spire... I'll scan for a vantage point."

Harley entered the Warbase. "See anything?"

"Yeah. That observation tower up there - it has to have a way to find the Spire."

Harley nodded, beginning the climb up. He encountered Cabal on several levels. Fortunately, most of them were caught off guard, surprised to see a Guardian inside their base. He reached the top level, still feeling as ready as he had before.

"Let's try that terminal over there," said his Ghost, appearing in front of him. She scanned the terminal. "Come on... I got it! It's on the other side of another defense line."

"All this to get into a garden... Any other good news?"

Suddenly, alarms sounded across the Rubicon. "If they didn't know we were here, they know now."

"Good for them." Harley quickly made his way back down, heading towards the door Prism had marked and fought off the Cabal that had been summoned by the alarms. He ran to the door, which automatically opened. "Ok. Either their security system is the absolute worst in the universe...or they just invited us in."

"I'm hoping for the former, but I'm predicting the latter," said Prism.

"Then we're on the same page." He walked in, gun at the ready. "Feels like a trap." Alarms sounded and Legionnaires jumped out towards him. "Yep. There it is."

He took down the first line with minimal difficulty. The last three were a bit more difficult, but they liked to clump together, so Harley was able to put his grenade to good use. Soon, no Cabal were left, leaving the door to the so-called 'Legion's Keep' unguarded. Prism materialized, preparing to hack it.

"Get ready," she told Harley.

"Believe me, I know... Nothing good ever happens when you open a door."

Sure enough, the door opened to reveal three Phalanxes behind it. Harley made quick work of them, then proceeded to enter the Keep.

"We're getting close," Prism assured him.

He made his way through to the outside, instantly spotting a large bridge with the Spire behind it. "Don't tell me... We're gonna have to cross the bridge."

"We have to cross the bridge."

"Never saw _that_ one coming." Harley cautiously made his way forward. He'd barely taken two steps when he was ambushed by Cabal. "I knew this would happen!" he yelled as he fired off shot after shot.

The next few minutes were a blur as Harley swept through the Cabal ranks, slashing and shooting until he was across. He leaned against a wall, catching his breath.

"The Spire is straight ahead!" said Prism in excitement.

Harley looked up, seeing even more Cabal between him and the Spire. "Prism, rocket launcher." The gun materialized. Harley aimed at the midst of the Cabal ranks, then fired. The explosion sent them flying, easily clearing his path. "Nice!" The rocket launcher was dematerialized by Prism, and Harley strode forward once more, readying his hand cannon just in case.

"There! That's a conduit to the Spire!"

Harley made his way to the conduit and Prism appeared, transmatting the Gate Lord's eye into it. "What's that gonna do?"

"I have no idea."

Harley and Prism both backed away as a beam of light shot out between the eye and the Spire. Several cables that had been inserted into the Spire were severed as the top split into numerous smaller pieces that began floating around it, revealing a huge conflux underneath. The floating pieces disintegrated just as a nearby door opened and a Cabal larger than any Harley had seen before jetpacked into the area with a group of Legionnaires and Psions in tow.

"What the hell?!"

Prism vanished. "That's Primus Sha'aull. A Primus is a high-ranking commander, maybe the equivalent of an admiral on Earth."

"Good for him." Harley's voice came out as a squeak, and he cleared his throat. "I think I'll be needing that rocket launcher again."

Once the weapon was in his hands, he quickly loaded two rockets and took aim at the Primus. He waited for him to land before firing off the rockets as fast as he could. Cabal were tough, but Harley was sure that no Cabal could withstand two blasts from a rocket launcher. He sighed in relief as the smoke cleared, proving him right. Even better was the Cabal legion, without their commander, had plunged into extreme disorder, leaving them easy to take out. _Overall, the Gate Lord was harder_.

"So, Prism. Can we finally get this over with?"

"Yes. The eye is charged! You know what that means?"

Harley's answering grin was fierce. "It's time to enter the Black Garden and finish this!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a bit shorter but you guys are in luck cause I plan to get Part Twenty-Two up tomorrow! We're nearly at the end of the Black Garden questline, but fear not because soon the rest of my plot will be revealed! 
> 
> Until tomorrow!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	23. Part Twenty-Two - Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No live stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Beyond the towering Meridian Bay gate lies the Black Garden, adrift in time and space. And within the Garden dwell the Vex of the Sol Divisive, frozen in rapture." - Grimoire of the Sol Divisive**

* * *

 

Harley gunned his Sparrow towards the Valley of the Kings, as Prism had said it was called. He saw the massive structure of the Gate in the distance, guarded by several Vex. He dismounted as they got close and crouched down behind a rock so he wouldn't be seen.

"The Gate Lord's eye is still charged, but I'm not sure how long it will remain that way," said Prism, "But even so, I don't think we'll get another chance at this. Basically, if we pull it off, we save the Traveler from a threat no one was previously aware of."

Harley swallowed nervously. "And if we don't?"

"The Vex will seize our worlds. Imagine a solar system of Mercuries..."

"Right. No pressure then. And I don't suppose these Vex'll let us just stroll in." He peered around the rock, catching sight of a Hydra and two Minotaurs, reminding him uncomfortably of when he was on Mercury. "I could probably kill the Hydra if I get my grenade past its shield..." He looked over again and readied his grenade as the shield swiveled around. "4...3...2...1!"

He chucked the grenade at the Hydra as hard as he could, watching it fall below the Vex's body. _Bang!_ No more Hydra. Harley pulled his hand cannon, breaking through one of the Minotaurs' shields and taking it out before he had to duck down and reload. Once both were dealt with, he approached the Gate, which began to flash and whir. "This better work," he muttered as the Gate opened, blinding him with its light.

He took a deep breath and stepped through. On the other side, he found himself surrounded by dozens of seemingly inactive Vex. Moss and plants hung from their limbs and heads. "Where _are_ we?"

"Not sure," said Prism, "If this is, in fact, the Black Garden, it's not on any known map of space _or_ time... I guess we keep going."

Harley nodded and advanced through the area. "What's wrong with the Vex?" he asked.

"They must be in some kind of stasis."

"...Guess it would've been too much to hope for them being dead." He didn't like the unmoving Vex much more than the ones he'd faced before. The statue-like machines gave the impression that they were about to jump out at him. Therefore, he was not at all surprised when some began to come to life, moving and twitching as though they had not done so for a long time. They were fairly easy to kill, but that didn't comfort him at all.

He emerged outside of the structure and gasped. The Garden stretched on for miles. Endless stone platforms filled with strange forms of plant life. _It's_ beautiful. He was pretty sure he could spend days just looking at it, but his admiration was cut short by Prism.

"There's something extremely dark down below... I think we found the Black Garden's heart."

Harley shook off his mesmerization and continued downward, no longer looking out. "Oh, gee. You _think_?" Suddenly, Harley found his path blocked by a gigantic force field as well as something else. He groaned. "Great. Another Hydra."

"Not just _any_ Hydra! That's the Divisive Mind!"

"A Hydra with a special name is still a Hydra." _And this one has a squadron of Vex._ Fortunately, Harley still had some rockets left. He used two of them to take out the Hydra, then killed the rest of the Vex with his Arc Blade.

"The barrier is down," said Prism helpfully.

Harley crossed it and made his way further below until he ran into a locked door.

"Dead end... And the heart is through here... I need to get close to those clusters."

"Huh?" Harley looked around, then saw them. There were two, each guarded by numerous Vex.

He fought his way through to the nearest one, ducking behind a stone pillar as Prism analyzed it. He caught some of what she was saying but couldn't make sense of it. "...break manifold encryption... Done!"

"One down, one to go." As Harley killed several more Vex, he noticed a massive tower of light forming on a large platform nearby. _That doesn't seem foreboding at all._

Prism seemed to have the opposite reaction. "It worked! A Spire is forming!" Harley took out the remaining Vex with his grenade and approached the other cluster. Prism scanned it. "It's starting to make sense!" she said excitedly.

"Great... Did it work?" He turned back to the platform. The tower of light had vanished, a spire taking its place.

"Back to the door."

Harley complied and found out that a conflux had appeared. Prism activated it.

"Now we just need permission to enter as a Gate Lord."

The conflux disappeared. Harley watched as his Ghost transmatted the eye in and it suddenly lifted into the air to Gate Lord height. The Spire fired out a beam of light, breaking it into several pieces and reflecting off of them towards the large door. The door opened.

"Oh boy, here we go," said Harley, "The Heart of the Black Garden..."

* * *

As he stepped through, Harley noticed the environment, previously a bright teal had become a dark brown. He walked forward, finding that he was standing on a ledge overlooking everything. Immediately he noticed the Heart. He felt its presence before seeing it, feeling the waves of cold Darkness radiating off of it. He looked up. The Heart was a gargantuan pulsing dark mass, crackling with energy. Three moss covered statues of Gate Lords stood around it, accompanied by a group of Vex Goblins and Hobgoblins kneeling in front of it. As though sensing his presence, they all turned to give an accusing stare before they began to rise and advance toward him.

"I think they're mad I interrupted them," Harley said to Prism.

"Well, you're going to have bigger problems to worry about...think you can kill a God?"

Harley scoffed. "It's hardly a God... Besides, it's not like I can just _not_ kill it after coming this far."

Drawing his hand cannon, he hurried down the staircase, shooting any Vex that got in his way. As his feet touched the ground, he felt a rumble and a burst of dark energy. He looked at the Heart. As he watched, it sent out a pulse of energy to the Gate Lord statue on the left. The stone cracked apart, revealing light underneath it. The pedestal slowly sank into the ground as the upper half of the Gate Lord rotated into place.

"Holy Traveler it's bringing that statue to life!" exclaimed Prism. The stone exploded, freeing the Gate Lord. "A Sol Progeny!"

Harley's dread mounted as the Gate Lord removed an enormous Torch Hammer from its back and turned, its eye landing menacingly on him. He gulped, barely remembering to duck before the Gate Lord fired at him. He pressed his back to a pillar.

"Holy ever-living crap! How am I supposed to kill that thing?! ...How many rockets do I have left?"

"Three."

"That's one for each... I doubt it'll be brought down by one rocket. I shouldn't've used two on that Hydra!"

"No time for that now! Do you want your rocket launcher or not?"

"Yes!" He grabbed the launcher as it appeared and loaded a rocket, listening to the steps of the Gate Lord as it moved back and forth on the other side of the pillar, trying to find him.

 _Thank the Traveler they're stupid._ Spinning out from the pillar, Harley fired his rocket, landing a direct hit to its weak spot. _Glad it's so slow. I might never beat it otherwise._ Harley grabbed his grenade and hurled it at the huge Vex. By a trick of luck, the grenade got wedged in between two of its armor plates. It went off with a _bang_ , sending pieces of the Gate Lord in every direction. Harley ducked as some of the shrapnel nearly hit him. He took a deep breath as the Heart sent out another energy pulse to the statue on the right, bringing it to life as well. Harley loaded his rocket launcher again, took aim, and sent the projectile into the same weak point. The Gate Lord stumbled and fired at him, causing him to duck back.

"What do I do now? I don't have my grenade!" He took a second to think. _Maybe a couple rounds from my hand cannon will do the trick._ He set down the rocket launcher and drew his hand cannon.

Leaning out once more, he fired three shots into the Vex before ducking back to dodge another blast. Harley decided to try the other side, hoping the Gate Lord wouldn't predict his movement. Luckily, it didn't and he was able to hit it with three more shots, bringing it down. He sighed. _Ok. Can't let down my guard now. There's still one more._ He looked up. The Heart was indeed bringing the final statue to life. Harley took a steadying breath. _If you kill this last one, you get to go home and rub it in that Prince's face. You killed two already, one more is nothing._ He holstered his hand cannon and picked up his rocket launcher again, loading it with the last of his ammo. He heard the huge Vex bellow angrily as it stomped around, searching for him. He edged out from behind the pillar again, firing his last rocket.

Unfortunately, he wasn't as lucky this time, as it pivoted before the rocket could land. Instead of its abdomen, his shot hit it in the left shoulder. It did some damage but mostly seemed to make the Gate Lord mad. Prism dematerialized his empty rocket launcher and he ducked back as the giant Vex shot at him, stepping closer. _It's fine. You can still do this. Just a few rounds from your hand cannon..._ He peered out again. _Shoot! It moved!_ The Gate Lord was no longer in his line of sight. Instead, it seemed to be somewhere on the other side of the pillar. Harley grit his teeth. He was going to have to dash across to the structure on the other side. _Come on, Harley! You're faster! You're a smaller target!_ He took another deep breath. "Ok...3, 2, 1!"

He sprinted for his life. His face broke into a triumphant smile as he got closer. _Yes! I'm gonna make it!_ Then he heard a metallic screech. He turned his head to the side and saw the Gate Lord standing where he'd been only seconds before. It raised its Torch Hammer and fired. In that instant, Harley's vision seemed to slow down. The projectile hurtled towards him, as inevitable as a crashing ship colliding with the ground. _No no no!_ He tried to force his legs to move faster, but he knew they wouldn't. He let out a yell as the shot careened into his side, sending him flying through the air.

Harley didn't know how long he flew. It could have been seconds. It could have been years. The only sensation he was aware of was the air rushing past him and then the feeling of his body impacting the side of the stone platform leading from the door. _Thud!_ Harley felt all the air leave his body as he smashed into it and fell with a _thump_ on the unforgiving stone floor. His vision flickered, blackness encroaching on the edges. He heard Prism's frantic voice yelling things in his ear. What she was saying, he wasn't sure. He was focusing on trying to breathe. He made to sit up and felt a shrieking pain in several places. He fell back against the wall, laughing weakly. "Nope. Not gonna try that again."

Prism's voice came into focus. "Harley?! Are you ok?!"

He waved her off and nearly blacked out from the pain. _Ok. Hand is definitely broken._ He told her as much.

"Which hand?"

 _Crap._ Harley wasn't completely sure which way was left and which was right. _Musta hit my head harder than I thought_. He wiggled one of his hands. It felt fine. He wiggled his other hand. _Yeow! Definitely that one!_ "My...uh, this one."

"Your right hand is broken?"

Harley shrugged, then was painfully reminded of the rest of his body. _I think I smashed my shoulder pretty bad. Ribs might be- yep. Broken. And definitely a broken leg. Damn._

"Broken _ribs_? _And_ a broken leg?! You might be one of the unluckiest Guardians there is!"

Harley frowned. "How'd _you_ know my ribs were broken?"

"You just said- never mind. That's not important. You still have a Gate Lord coming after you!"

Harley turned his head and caught sight of the Vex that had blasted him. It was now stomping up the steps to finish him off. _Crap! How do I kill it? No rockets, no grenades, Bladedancer is definitely out. Hand cannon is too jarring for my hand and I can't aim with my left... Maybe my sniper._ He attempted to shrug it off his shoulders. "Gah! _Not_ a good idea! ...Prism, couldja get me my sniper rifle?"

The gun was transmatted off his back and into his arms. He brought the scope up to his eye, wincing as the movements aggravated his arm. Luckily, he had a perfect vantage point to hit the Gate Lord. Taking more care than usual, he aimed at its weak point. _This is gonna hurt..._ Taking a breath, he pulled the trigger, managing to hit the Vex with four shots before the bullets ran out, wincing as the recoil jarred his injuries. He watched with bated breath as the Gate Lord stepped up two more steps before it slowly sank to the ground. Its red eye flickered a few times, then went out. Harley let out a huge breath.

The coliseum began to shake violently as the Heart expanded and faltered, surging with electricity. Harley shut his eyes as an explosion of white washed over him. When he opened them, there was nothing left of the Heart except for small floating fragments. The environment around him had returned to a light teal coloring, and the Garden was silent, empty of Vex noises.

"We're back on Mars!" said Prism excitedly, "The Darkness is lifting... I can _feel_ Light returning to the Traveler! The Speaker is calling us home."

"Well, we don't want to keep him waiting," said Harley, shifting as though to get up.

"What? No Harley, you're still injured. Don't move unless you want to make your injuries worse."

Harley laughed. "Can't really get much worse. Besides, how else are we supposed to get back to the ship? I mean, we need to at least get outside the Garden, right?"

"No. Now that this place is 'back on the map,' so to speak, our ship can pick us up from here. It's already inbound. How is your hand? Any better?"

"What do you- huh... Actually, it _is_ , now you mention it..."

"Now that this place is no longer shrouded in Darkness, I can use the Light to start healing you. I'm afraid your leg and ribs will take a bit longer, but you should be able to walk by the time we get back to the Tower."

"The Tower? Don't we have to report to the Queen? She _was_ the reason we were able to find the Black Garden, after all."

"You don't need to be dealing with the politics of the Awoken again just yet," said Prism sternly, "What you need is rest, which you're going to get as soon as we return and report to the Vanguard. And no missions for at least a week. Ghost's orders."

Harley groaned. "Fine. Have it your way..."

"Good. Prepare for transmat. We're getting out of here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've finally arrived at the end of the Black Garden storyline. But never fear, Harley's adventures aren't over just yet. I'm sorry to say that the next chapter won't be out until Sunday, but at least you can look forward to it. Big love to all of you guys for sticking with this story. It's my first attempt at writing Destiny, so I'm happy that y'all are enjoying it.
> 
> See you guys on Sunday!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	24. Part Twenty-Three - Triumph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"The Vex at architects of ancient and complex structures thought to be buried within every celestial body. Linked by a network unlike any on Earth, they operate in unison, directed by a single unfathomable purpose." - Grimoire of the Vex**

* * *

 

Harley exited his ship and began to walk out of the Hangar when something caught his attention. Standing at the edge of the Hangar, looking out over the City, was the mysterious Stranger they'd met on Venus. With a sudden conviction, he turned away from the door, limping as he made his way across to the edge of the platform.

The Stranger didn't look at him or acknowledge him in any way. For a few moments, they stood there in silence, observing the orb of the Traveler as is hung suspended over the City. Then she turned to him holding her gun, which he could now tell was a fusion rifle.

She stretched out her arms, offering it to him. "Take this, Guardian... There's so much more than what you know. I've seen terrible things born out in the Darkness. Every moment brings them closer."

Harley was silent for a moment. Then he finally asked the question that had been on his mind since she first contacted them. "What were you doing on Mercury?"

She regarded him impassively. "All ends are beginnings, Guardian... I was making sure there was a chance to begin."

"What does that mean?"

She ignored the question, brushing it off as though he hadn't spoken. "Our fight is far from over... May your blade stay sharp, Guardian." With that, she walked forward, vanishing as she'd done on Venus, leaving her words hanging in the air.

Harley stood there, at a loss. Once again, the Stranger had given him no concrete answers. He turned and began making his slow way out to the plaza, her gun still in hand.

* * *

 

Harley limped into the Hall of the Guardians, catching the Vanguards' attention as he entered.

"What the hell happened to you?" Cayde demanded.

Harley snorted. "Or 'hello,' as people used to say."

"Well _someone's_ developed quite a mouth."

"As do most of your Hunters," said Ikora dryly, "I wonder why that is..."

Cayde waved his hand. "Whatever. Doesn't matter. I wanna know what happened."

Harley sighed. "It's a pretty long story."

"It have anythin' to do with why you've been gone?"

Harley nodded. "It started after I kil- _saw_ that Walker in the Cosmodrome. I got a strange transmission from someone. She said she saw me on Mercury and asked me to meet her."

"And you didn't come to us with this?" Zavala asked disapprovingly.

Harley shrugged. "I figured it wasn't important enough... Anyway, I went to Venus, where her coordinates led and after I fought some Vex, she showed up to warn me about something called the Black Garden."

Ikora and Zavala shared a look of alarm. "So the legends are true...." said Ikora, "There is a Black Garden... A birthplace of the Vex."

Harley nodded. "After she left, we left Venus and went directly to the Reef." He was surprised to see a look of anger on Zavala's face, mimicked to an extent on Ikora's. Cayde, as usual, remained indifferent. "Uh... What's wrong with the Reef, if you don't mind me asking?"

Zavala sighed. "History...has not been kind to the City's relationship with the Reef..." He noticed Harley's confused look. "I speak of the Reef Wars... They happened some years ago, though not very many, especially when you consider the history leading up to the City Age."

Ikora looked at Cayde. "I believe they started a few years after you joined the Vanguard," she said, phrasing it like a question she knew the answer to. Cayde nodded, for once looking like he didn't want to say anything.

Zavala turned to Harley. "The Reef Wars were a conflict between the Awoken and the Fallen House of Wolves. In fact, the Awoken were the reason the Wolves had not joined the other Fallen Houses in their attack on the City. However, that is beside the point... At one point in the war, the Wolves were entrenched in a valley. The Awoken were there, as were several Guardians on the orders of the Tower. The Queen's former Emissary, Petra Venj, called in an airstrike... It obliterated the Wolves, but it also killed three fireteams of Guardians _and_ their Ghosts... Ever since then, the City's relationship with the Reef has been...unstable."

Harley was silent as he tried to fit this in with his image of the Awoken. Unfortunately, it wasn't that difficult.

"There will be more time for history later," broke in Ikora, "For now, please continue."

"...Oh right. Ok, let's see... So we got an audience with the Queen and her brother - who's a real jerk by the way - and they sent us to kill a Vex Gate Lord."

"For what purpose?" demanded Zavala.

"To get into the Black Garden. So we brought its head back and they told us the coordinates of the Gate. It was on Mars near a Cabal outpost so we decided to see if the Cabal had any info on it. We broke into their Warbase-"

"You broke into the Rubicon?! Do you have any idea what you risked?!"

"Calm down Zav. I wanna hear the rest of the story. You can go all 'how dare you' on him later."

 _Thanks for that, Cayde._ "...Um, so we found some info on the Gate but we had to go to another location to charge up the Gate Lord's eye... And I sort of also had to kill one of the Cabal Primuses... But anyway, we got into the Black Garden, killed the three Sol Progenies and destroyed the Heart."

The Vanguard looked like they didn't know what to make of him. Finally, Ikora spoke. "It would seem that the Black Garden is no longer a threat to the City... Well done, Harley."

"Yeah. Kudos, kid. You took out somethin' _we_ didn't even know was a threat. Didn't he do good, Zav?"

Zavala sighed. "I will admit that this Guardian has surprised me in many ways." He looked at Harley. "I believe you should talk to the Speaker. He, above anyone else, will want to hear this news."

Harley nodded. "Can I leave, then?"

"Yep! You're free to go!" said Cayde, "Take some time before your next mission, though."

"Will do." With that, Harley headed out of the Hall to talk to the Speaker.

* * *

 

The Speaker seemed pleased, if not surprised, that the Black Garden had been eliminated. "I felt it, you know... Light returning to the Traveler. It is far from its full strength, but your efforts have gone a long way, Guardian. You have accomplished much that many could only hope to do... I hope you know that."

Harley nodded his thanks before moving on to bring up the question he thought the Speaker might know the answer to. "...Sir, I don't suppose you know anything about the Stranger I mentioned?"

The Speaker shook his head. "Unfortunately, that is an area in which I cannot provide assistance... I was not aware of any such person. It is not easy to keep track of living beings, especially those not born of Light. Still, I am glad your mission was a success. You should be proud, Guardian. You have guaranteed that there is one less threat to the Traveler's Light."

"Yeah...about that. Something's been bothering me... Aren't the Vex still a threat? From what I've seen of them, they won't give up just because they've lost the Black Garden. If anything, they'll probably double their efforts."

"Perhaps," said the Speaker, "There is much about the Vex that still remains hidden to us. But you have struck them a hard blow, Guardian. I believe we must turn our attention to more pressing matters now. The Traveler still has many enemies."

"With all due respect, sir, I don't think we should ignore the Vex just because we've taken out one of their strongholds. They've been on Mercury a long time and Venus even longer if the studies of Ishtar Academy are anything to go by. For all we know, they could have something much worse hidden on Venus. More powerful, even, than the Black Garden. There have even been hints that they can alter _time_." Harley was unable to tell due to the mask, but the Speaker didn't seem to appreciate his persistence of the topic.

"Guardian, I know that your concerns are not unfounded. However, we gain nothing from pursuing assumptions. I believe Commander Zavala would tell you 'Every second we waste in idleness is a second lost to Darkness.' Put these things out of your mind and focus on the present."

Harley nodded, though he felt the discussion was far from over. "...I understand."

The Speaker nodded. "Good. I hope you are able to find rest and recover from your trials, Guardian. Until next time."

Harley nodded once more before turning and making his way out of the North Tower. Dusk was falling over the Tower as he crossed the plaza. His leg was a bit better now, but he still had a slight limp.

"Where to now?" Prism asked, "The mess hall?"

He shook his head. "I just wanna get back to my room. Get some sleep."

"Understandable. Perhaps in the morning we could get out of the Tower, explore the City."

"Mm-hm." Harley didn't sound very interested. He unlocked their quarters and stepped inside. "I'm gonna take a shower, so you can power down if you want."

"Ok. Is there anything, in particular, you want to do tomorrow?"

"There might be... Not sure yet."

Prism realized how distracted Harley was. _Some sleep will do him good_. "Well, I'll let you get to your shower. See you in the morning."

"Yeah... See you, Prism."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well the Black Garden is over and done with! However, something else is on the horizon. Feel free to take guesses at what it could be. :D
> 
> I also have a question for y'all: What do you think is working well in this story? (ex. plot, characters/characterization, accuracy, description, etc.) Also is there anything I could be doing better or anything I'm not doing? (please let me know if there is, otherwise I won't be able to fix it) :3
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	25. Part Twenty-Four - Research

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"We have found new ways to weaponized curiosity. Pathways into the darkness." - Grimoire of the Warlocks**

* * *

 

It was Harley's own mind that woke him the next morning. Images of the angry eyes of the Sol Progenies and the Garden's Heart ran through his thoughts, causing him to jerk awake. He shook his head, trying to clear them from his mind before rising from his bed with a sigh. He saw Prism's eye begin to glow from her spot on the dresser.

He dressed in his casual clothes, then sat on the couch, processing the events of the day before. He still had so many questions, not only about the Vex but also about the mechanics of being a Guardian that his experiences had brought to mind.

Prism hovered over. "Good morning," she said.

"Hey Prism..."

"What's wrong? You sound...distant."

Harley gave her a small smile. "Nothing. Just got a lot on my mind."

"You're not thinking of becoming a Warlock, are you?" she joked, "Because I think Cayde would be pretty disappointed."

"Don't worry, I'm not... Can a Guardian even switch classes?"

"No, not really. The class tends to match the strongest personality traits of the Guardian... I suppose it's possible in theory, but no one ever has."

Harley sighed. "See? That's the thing... I've done all this stuff but I still don't know about things like that. How am I supposed to be a Guardian if I don't even understand what it means?"

"But you _do_ know what being a Guardian means. You've known from the day I revived you."

"But how could I possibly know and still have so many questions about everything?" He rose and made for the door, Prism alongside him.

"Perhaps if you asked me, I could try and answer some of these questions."

Harley opened the door and they stepped out, making for the plaza. "Well, I find it odd that Guardians are willing to charge straight into a fight they know so little about. Why is that?"

"Actually, I think I _can_ answer that one. You see, the Light shines brightest in the souls of those suited to heroism, so naturally, they are the easiest for Ghosts to resurrect."

"Suited to heroism? Or suited to war? ...You know what? Never mind... Sorry, these have been eating at me for a while... Why don't Guardians remember their pasts?"

"Unfortunately, I can't answer that one. _I_ believe it has something to do with how long the Guardian's been dead, but who knows? Some remember more than others."

"So then the parts we can't remember. Are those dead?"

Prism's shell mimicked a shrug. "I don't know."

"Then...who's to say Guardians are the same as they were when they died? What if we're imitations of our former selves, the ones who died?"

"I advise you not to think on that too much," said Prism, "There are some things we'll never know the answer to."

"Like where the Traveler came from?"

"Actually, that _is_ one thing we know something about... Bits and pieces from old records. The Traveler came from a different system. We know the Fallen were chosen by it at some point, it was known to them as the Great Machine. There are tales of a disaster, something they call the Whirlwind... Some say that's why the Traveler left. To save itself. Of course, those are the opinions of only a _few_ people."

"Wait, but if the Traveler _did_ leave before, what's to stop it from leaving again?"

"Nothing... No, hold on... Actually, there _is_ a rumor..." Prism glanced furtively around, "Someone, a Guardian actually, brought up the idea that the Traveler did not remain on Earth by choice. I myself do not agree with their theory, but you wanted answers... They maintained that the Traveler was crippled... Crippled by none other than Rasputin."

"Rasputin? The Warmind that's supposed to protect Earth?"

"Yep. They believed that when the Traveler was confronted with the Darkness, it attempted to flee Earth. Rasputin realized that its departure would mean extinction and utilized all means necessary to 'coerce pseudo altruistic defensive action.' Not my words, by the way... Therefore, the Traveler would expend the last of its power to protect itself, and by extension, humanity."

Harley shivered. "That's pretty heavy. Whoever proposed that must not've been very popular... But if that theory is true, do you think the Traveler would be angry at humanity for crippling it?"

"I'm not sure. But that doesn't really matter, because it's only a theory."

"Yeah... Hey, is there a library around here?"

"Certainly. I'll direct you."

* * *

Prism studied Harley as he poured over records. They were in one of the older sections of the library and the only ones in the building. To tell the truth, Prism was getting a little uncomfortable. Not with the library, but with the extent of Harley's intensity as he scanned the information in front of him. She'd suggested doing other things multiple times, but he'd turned them all down, intent on whatever he was looking for. Prism nearly sighed in relief when she heard footsteps heading in their direction. _Finally! A distraction!_ Not that she hated learning things, but Harley had been acting a bit strange. _First, he asks all those questions and now he's searching the library for...what, exactly?_ She looked up as the owner of the footsteps approached.

"A _Hunter_ in the _library_? The world must be ending."

Harley looked up, concentration ripped away by whoever had just spoken. "Hasn't it already? Isn't that _why_ there're Guardians in the first place?"

The newcomer arched an eyebrow. She was an Awoken, as told by her light greyish-teal skin and glowing white irises. A strange pattern of black specks enclosed her eyes and crossed her nose like a mask. Her hair was shaved so short that it was nothing more than a black shadow across her scalp. From her long maroon robes, Harley deduced that she was a Warlock, making her the first other Guardian he'd seen since he'd arrived.

"I heard about you," she said offhandedly, "Word has it the Vanguard made a big fuss 'cause you're the first new Guardian we've had for a while now."

"That's me."

She nodded. "Well, I'm Raedryon. Raedryon Korrin. You can call me Rae."

Harley nodded back. "Harley Hayden."

"Harley, huh?" She thought for a minute. "Don't like it... I think I'm gonna call you... Ace."

Harley was a bit hurt that she didn't like his name. "What? Why?"

She shrugged. "Sounds better. Besides, I heard you managed to get here in a piece of Vex junk...which makes you a flying ace."

"Wonderful... Any reason you stopped by?"

"Not really. Just got back from a mission. Bazzle said we're taking the day off, so I came here. The end."

"So there _are_ other Guardians here."

Rae rolled her eyes. "Duh. You're a real genius. Did your Ghost _not_ let you in on that or something?"

"No! I just haven't seen anyone else, that's all," said Harley defensively. He narrowed his eyes. "Speaking of Ghosts, where's yours?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but he's incorporeal right now... Shard? Come out and say hi."

A Ghost appeared at her side, its shell an inky black. "Hello," he said, "I heard you go by Ace."

Harley glared at Rae.

"Well, I guess I'll be going... Let you get back to whatever you were doing."

"Fine. Maybe I'll see you around."

She snorted. "Yeah, maybe. C'mon, Shard. See ya, Ace." With that, the Ghost and Guardian turned and left.

Harley shook his head as he watched them disappear down the aisle. "Can't believe it took me this long to meet another Guardian."

"Yeah," said Prism, "You know... Ace _does_ have a nice ring to it."

"Don't you start."

* * *

It was more than two hours before Prism got another break in her extreme boredom. Suddenly, Harley sat up, looking excited about something.

"Prism! C'mere!"

She floated over with a sigh. "Are you finally going to clue me in on what you were looking for?"

He ignored her.

 _Typical._ "What _were_ you looking for?"

"Information on the Vex. You'd be surprised how little there is."

"Hardly. I'm practically a database of information." Once again, she was ignored.

"So I found out about this place on Venus. There wasn't much, but none of it sounds good. It's called the Vault of Glass..."

Prism shivered. She'd heard rumors and stories concerning the Vault of Glass and Harley was right. None of them were good.

"It's described by the Ishtar Collective as the 'Vex underworld,'" Harley continued, "And it's speculated that the Vex can control reality, time itself inside the Vault... Fun... Apparently, a fireteam of Guardians entered it at some point during the Age of the City: Praedyth the Warlock, Pahanin the Hunter, and Kabr the Titan, also known as Kabr the Legionless. It took a while to find any info on them, but I found something called the Pahanin Errata, which says a bit more. Listen to this...

' _His name was Kabr. He wasn't my friend but I knew and respected him as a Guardian and a good man. He fought the Vex alone. This destroyed him. In the time before he vanished he said some things that I think should be remembered..._ " Harley glanced at Prism, "Here's what it says... ' _In the Vault time frays and a needle moves through it. The needle is the will of Atheon. I do not know the name of the shape that comes after the needle. No one can open the Vault alone. I opened the Vault. There was no one with me but I was not alone. You will meet the Templar in a place that is a time before or after stars. The stars will move around you and mark you and sing to you. They will decide if you are real.'_ Finally, he says, ' _I drank of them. It tasted like the sea.'_

There's nothing else here, but apparently, Kabr sacrificed himself in the Vault to create a weapon of some sort called the Aegis... The only other thing I could find on _Pahanin_ was that he created a gun called Super Good Advice... I couldn't find anything else on the Warlock, Praedyth... Still, though, it's something."

Prism shivered again. _This is not good. Next thing I know, he'll want to follow in the footsteps of those Guardians._ "Why were you looking for information about the Vex?"

Harley regarded her with an intensity she hadn't seen before. "Because it's important! The Speaker thinks the Vex aren't a threat anymore just cause we destroyed the Garden, but this 'Vault of Glass' thing is _much_ worse! You _saw_ what the Vex did to Mercury! That could _still_ happen here! Prism, I've fought the Vex since the moment I was revived. I can't just let this go. We need to investigate the Vault. Maybe we can learn how to defeat the Vex for _good_."

Prism spoke hesitantly. "Haven't you ever thought... I mean, maybe the Speaker kept this a secret for a reason."

Harley looked at her as though he thought that would be obvious. "Of _course_ he had a reason! He doesn't want anyone investigating because he's too worried about protecting the Traveler! ...I understand that, but wouldn't it be a benefit to know more about our enemies? I mean, the Vex can mess with _time_. Is that not important enough for us to know?"

Prism really didn't like where Harley was taking this. "I agree, Harley. It _is_ important. I just think the Speaker wants us to focus on more imminent threats."

"The Vex are a pretty imminent threat to _me_. Everyone knows what they did to Mercury..."

Prism decided to interrupt him there. "Let's go to the mess hall," she said, "You need food. Besides, we can talk on the way."

Harley nodded, accepting this. He put back the records and books and followed Prism out of the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Harley's finally met another Guardian! Took him long enough. Pronunciation of her name is Ray-dree-on Kor-rin, by the way. Be sure to let me know what you think. Anyway, the next part of my story is approaching, so I hope y'all are excited. Also since no one said anything, I can conclude that I haven't made any major mistakes with this story, which is great ;)
> 
> Part Twenty-Five will be out this weekend (And Part Twenty-Six might be joining it if you guys cross your fingers really hard). See you then!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	26. Part Twenty-Five - Foreboding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"In its dying breath, the Traveler created the Ghosts... To seek out those who can wield its Light as a weapon. Guardians, to protect us, and do what the Traveler itself no longer can." - The Speaker**

* * *

 

This time, Harley was not alone in the mess hall. Rae and another Guardian, who seemed vaguely familiar to Harley sat across from each other at a table near the wall, their Ghosts hovering next to them. Harley grabbed some food, then walked over to them. "Hey. Mind if I join?"

Rae shrugged. Harley took this for assent and sat down next to the other Guardian. He scrutinized him for a few moments before realizing where he'd seen him before. "â€¦I recognize you! You were one of the ones who escorted me when I arrived."

The other Guardian turned, giving him an appraising look before nodding and sticking out a hand. "Bazzle Torelli," he said. His voice was strong and assured.

Harley shook his hand, wincing at the Titan's powerful grip. "Harley Hayden."

The Titan sat back, studying him with piercing grey eyes. Harley shifted uncomfortably. Bazzle, as he'd called himself, was broad-shouldered and strong looking, like Zavala. His skin was a warm brown and his head was shaved completely, allowing the fluorescent lights of the dining hall to glint off his scalp. He was clad in his armor, though it was much bulkier than Harley's. Titan armor. "Rae said you just got back from a mission."

Bazzle nodded. "We did."

"What was it, if you don't mind me asking?"

"We were patrolling the Cosmodrome for Fallen Walkers. As I understand it, you had something to do with that."

Harley nodded. "Yep." There was a long moment of awkward silence.

"Uh, so what abilities do you guys have?"

"I myself am a Defender."

Harley looked at Rae. She looked back impassively. "What about you?" he asked.

"Stormcaller."

"...Whoa. I'm no expert on Warlock subclasses, but isn't that one pretty rare?"

"Yeah... It's also the most useful for electrocuting annoying Hunters..." Sparks subtly danced across her fingers.

"Right... Good times."

Bazzle spoke up suddenly, as though he'd just received a message. "I must report to Zavala," he said, rising from his seat. He looked at Rae, who was cleaning her fingernails. "I'll meet you in the plaza at 2100 to discuss strategies for tomorrow's mission." Rae nodded and the Titan left.

Harley felt even more uncomfortable. "So..."

Rae looked up. "What."

"Nothing. Just wondering... Is the whole thing with Warlocks being bookworms true?"

"What's it to ya, Ace?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Thought you might be interested in what I was looking into."

She sighed. "Let me tell you something about Warlocks... Warlocks are Warlocks because they're driven by a quest for knowledge. That doesn't mean we're all gonna be uber nerds that hang out in the library day in and day out."

Harley nodded. "I understand."

"Good... So what was it you were gonna tell me about?"

"Well, I've been looking into the Vex a bit more, and there's a lot they didn't tell us..."

Rae listened noncommittally as he told her what little he'd found out about the Vault of Glass. "Hmm."

"So whatcha think?"

"It's interesting, I suppose... You kept saying 'they didn't tell us' this and 'they don't want us to know' that... Who is 'they?'"

Harley shrugged. "The Speaker mostly. He's pretty much the top authority here, right? I mean, the Vanguard are up there, but they seem to deal more with the actual war stuff. And the Speaker has lots of influence over everybody, cause he 'speaks for the Traveler' and all."

"Mm-hm. This is fascinating, but I'm afraid I can't chat all day. Places to be and all that. So sorry, but I'll see you later."

Harley nodded. "Ok."

Rae got up and exited the mess hall. Not wanting to sit alone in the empty room, Harley left as well.

"What did you mean about the Speaker's influence?" Prism asked as they made their way towards the Traveler's Walk.

"Well, he has a lot of power over people. We don't even know if he can actually communicate with the Traveler, but as long as people believe he can, he can pretty much do anything."

"Why are you questioning the Speaker all of a sudden?"

"Trust me, it's not sudden... I've thought about it before. Granted, it was mostly when I was up cause I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night, but it's still a valid point."

"What on Earth do you have against him?"

"I just don't like that he's hiding things from us that could help us understand and beat enemies like the Vex."

"Is that what started this? The Vex? You've become obsessed with killing them ever since meeting them after Mercury."

"Gee, I wonder why? I was brought to life on a planet that the Vex had destroyed. You gotta think that would alter my worldview a little bit. If I am 'obsessed' then it's cause I've seen what they can do. You were there in the Black Garden! You should know better than anyone that I'm right. And whatever the Vault of Glass is, it's ten times worse. That's why we need to destroy it before what happened to Mercury happens to Earth."

Prism had remained silent throughout Harley's mini-rant. She didn't quite know what to make of what he was saying, but she knew something had to be done about it. Some of what he said had sounded dangerously familiar. _The only thing I can do is take this to the Vanguard... I know it may be nothing, but others have pursued far lesser concerns._ She turned to Harley. "Are you planning to leave the Tower at any point today?"

"Nah. Can't think of anything to do. I might tomorrow, though."

"Ok. Then you won't mind if I leave for a bit? There's something I'd like to check up on." _It's not_ exactly _lying._

"Sure. I'll meet you in the mess hall for dinner."

"Ok. I'll see you later."

Committed to her purpose, she zoomed off in the direction of the Hall of Guardians.

* * *

 

Prism hovered just beyond the entrance to the room the Vanguards were in. _Should I really do this?_ She wished someone would give her the answer. All she had to go on were her instincts. They mostly told her she was doing the right thing, but she had a bad feeling it would not end well. Steeling herself, she floated into the room.

It was a few moments before the Vanguard noticed her. Cayde was the first to spot her. "Oh hey, you're Harley's Ghost, right? Prism, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that's me."

"What brings you here, Ghost?" Zavala asked.

"I've, um, been having some concerns."

Ikora raised an eyebrow. "Concerns? With what?"

"With Harley."

"And you felt the need to speak to us about them?" asked Zavala.

"Well, I felt they were things that you should know."

Ikora nodded. "Continue."

"I'm starting to worry that Harley's focusing too much on the Vex," said Prism, letting it out in a rush. While it wasn't her only concern, it was the biggest.

"Why is that?"

"He thinks they're still a threat. That they're planning something."

"I'd say you blew their plans to hell when you killed the Garden," said Cayde.

"Harley doesn't think so, despite what the Speaker told him. He's been in the library all morning researching the Vex."

Cayde chuckled. "Research? Ikora, you sure he wasn't supposed to be a Warlock?"

Ikora wasn't laughing. "Did he find anything?"

"Yes. He found a bunch of records talking about the Vault of Glass..." Instantly, the Vanguards' faces darkened. "He thinks the Vex are planning something to do with the Vault. He thinks Guardians should be sent to investigate, himself included."

Zavala and Ikora traded grave looks. Cayde spoke up. "Hey, maybe the kid's gotta point. He wouldn't be looking into the Vex without a good reason."

"Wouldn't he?" said Ikora quietly.

"Look, if all he wants to do is investigate the Vault, well, that's hardly cause for concern, right? Hell, _I_ was interested in the Vault before I got landed with this job!"

"That wasn't all," said Prism with a sigh, "He's been saying a lot of things, asking questions that kind of worry me. But I guess it's mostly the stuff about the Vex... The Speaker told him-"

"He talked to the Speaker about this?" Zavala asked.

"Yes. He mentioned his concerns about how the Vex might have something much worse than the Black Garden. He was quite persistent. The Speaker told him to put his concerns out of his mind, to focus on more imminent threats, but if today was anything to go by, he didn't listen."

The Vanguards shared another look. Ikora turned to Prism. "Thank you for bringing this to us. We will think further on it. In the meantime, do not let Harley go to Venus. I don't want him attempting to explore the Vault of Glass."

"I won't. Thank you." Prism turned and left, feeling much lighter than she had before. However, there was a dark edge to her lightness, almost like a warning that something bad was on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy things are really ramping up. I know what the Vanguard are worried about, but I'm curious to see if any of you can guess why. At any rate, another chapter should be going up tomorrow as long as I finish with my other obligations, so you have something to look forward to :)
> 
> See you tomorrow!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	27. Part Twenty-Six - Speculation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Looks like the Queen wants Guardians close...but not too close." - Grimoire of the Vestian Outpost**

* * *

 

"Ok, can someone tell me why the mood in here dropped into the Hellmouth?" Cayde demanded.

Zavala responded, sounding irritated. "You were a part of the discussion, were you not?"

Cayde rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I was. But for the life of me, I can't figure out why you two look like someone stole your favorite Sparrow."

"Cayde, we just learned that Harley, one of _your_ Hunters, wants to investigate the Vault of Glass," said Ikora, "Tell me you aren't concerned."

"What's to be worried about? He's _curious_. Here I am, thinkin' curiosity was a trait you Warlocks _admired_."

"Curiosity in moderation is quite different, Cayde," said Zavala, "With curiosity, caution should be exercised. We have all heard of Guardians whose curiosity led them astray."

Cayde laughed. "What? Like _Toland_? I hardly think Harley's gonna turn into a nutjob like him and Osiris." He paused in his laughter when he noticed the shift in the other Vanguards' expressions. "...You can't be serious." He studied their faces. "You _are_ serious! You think he's followin' in _Osiris'_ footsteps, don't you! ...What's it come to when _I'm_ the most rational person here?"

Ikora sighed. "I know this might be hard to accept, Cayde-"

"Hard to accept?! It makes no _sense_!"

"The signs are there," said Zavala sternly.

" _What_ signs?"

Ikora took a deep breath. "His obsession with the Vex, to begin with. As well as the fact that he was revived _on_ Mercury."

"You sayin' he coulda been one of Old Crazy's followers?" asked Cayde skeptically.

"The possibility cannot be ruled out," said Zavala.

"His Ghost said he could barely remember his own _name_. How could he remember his past if he couldn't remember _that_?"

"It could be unconscious," said Ikora, "Awakened by the exposure to the Vex."

"I can't believe this," Cayde muttered.

"Then you'd better hope the similarities end there," said Zavala, "Otherwise, we may be forced to intervene directly."

* * *

When Harley said he wanted to go back to the Reef, Prism didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried. Relieved because he didn't say Venus and worried because he might be doing it to see if the Awoken knew anything more about the Vex. She gave voice to neither of these feelings, however, and accompanied him the next day without complaining.

Harley strolled into the Vestian Outpost. It seemed that the Queen had just opened it to the Guardians. It was rather like a huge balcony, and Harley was feeling more than a bit overwhelmed as he looked around. There were several people standing around, like in the Tower. The one that caught his eye first was an Awoken with pale blue skin and short magenta hair. Her left eye was covered in an eyepatch but she still looked like she would be more than a match for him in a fight. He decided to meet her. As he approached up the steps to her platform, she turned to look at him, flipping a knife casually in her hand.

"Welcome to the Vestian Outpost, Guardian."

"Thanks... Who are you, exactly?"

"My name is Petra Venj of the Royal Guard. I used to be the Queen's Emissary."

Harley's eyes widened in realization. She was the one that had ordered the airstrike and killed those Guardians during the Reef Wars. Suddenly he felt very awkward for knowing that about her. "I, uh, my name's Harley Hayden."

Petra nodded. "You're a Hunter, aren't you? I expect we'll be working together soon... In the meantime, take a walk around. You might find some interesting allies here."

Harley nodded his thanks before heading back down the steps to look around. He noticed an igloo-like structure off to the left with a figure standing in front of it. As he got closer, he realized with a start that it was a Fallen Vandal. He was about to turn and walk away when the Vandal spotted him. To Harley's surprise, it spoke to him in his language.

"Ah...yes, yes. A Guardian. You speak to Variks of House Judgement."

"...Nice to meet you. My name's Harley Hayden."

Variks nodded at him. "It's good to meet new allies, yes? We will speak again after you become acquainted with the Reef." "Ok... It sounds like I'm going to be around here more than I thought."

"Petra has mission for you. Very important. I will see you later, yes?"

Harley nodded before continuing on. "I've never met a Fallen who could speak English," he mused.

"Yes, apparently the Reef still has quite a few surprises in store," said Prism.

Truth be told, Harley was startled by her sudden 'appearance' ...He'd completely forgotten she was there. "I'll say." He noticed another Awoken wearing the yellow Cryptarch robes. "Check it out... Doesn't that guy remind you of Master Rahool?"

"Yes, now that you mention it... Let's say hello."

The Cryptarch looked up at the sound of their approach. "Ah, Guardian. I've heard much of you from Master Rahool... My name is Master Ives."

"Nice to meet you," said Harley, "I'm Harley and this is Prism."

The Cryptarch nodded. "Well, I look forward to conducting business with you. I hope not to disappoint you, too much. Just remember to come to me if you find anything of interest or if you need any help decoding something."

Harley nodded. "Will do. Thanks." He walked onward.

* * *

 

Harley's exploration led him to discover two frames like the ones in the Tower. They also acted as the Postmaster and Bounty Tracker, although they didn't have much of a personality compared to the ones Harley was used to interacting with. He was about to leave to try and talk to the Queen when he noticed someone else standing near a corner that was much brighter than any place he'd seen so far. He moved closer and saw that the figure was dressed in black and yellow robes with a hood that covered much of their face. They stood in the middle of what looked to be a giant eye drawn on the floor with hundreds of candles placed around it. As Harley neared, he overheard the man - he had the voice of a man - mutter something. He listened harder.

"...None of them are ready for Mercury," said the man in a strangely accented voice.

He gave a start. _Did he really just mention Mercury?_ Harley hadn't come across anyone who'd said 'Mercury' so casually before. Curious, he drew closer. The man was holding a datapad but looked up as Harley approached. For a moment he said nothing, leaving Harley feeling extremely out of place.

Finally, he spoke. "...I've never seen the Light the way it shows around you."

Harley shifted. The man's voice had an odd quality of reverence to it. "...Who are you?"

"My name is Brother Vance. I'm a guest on the Reef, like yourself."

"My name's Harley... How do you know I'm a guest?"

Vance sounded amused. "I may be blind, but there are other ways to see."

"You're _blind_?" said Harley dumbly, "Oh, sorry. I didn't know."

"No need to apologize. It happened long ago..."

"Oh. How? ...If you don't mind me asking." "I sacrificed my sight in the Trials... I used to be a Warlock, but I left the Guardians to follow a different path. Perhaps you will too one day."

"Yeah, maybe."

Vance seemed to study him. "What brings you here, Guardian? Seeking passage into the Trials, perhaps?"

"...Actually, I heard you mention Mercury and I was curious."

Vance nodded. "I am a member of the Disciples of Osiris. We had a stronghold on Mercury, once upon a time."

"I remember..." Harley realized, "My Ghost told me about it. She said you were forced to leave when Vex activity increased."

Vance nodded. "Have you heard of Osiris?"

Harley shook his head, forgetting that Vance was blind. But it didn't seem to matter, because he responded all the same.

"Osiris fought at the battle of Six Fronts, it's said he seemed to be everywhere at once that day... He retired to Mercury when he was exiled by the Vanguard and cast out of the City... But what is _your_ interest in Mercury, Guardian?"

"My Ghost revived me on Mercury. I was stuck there for two months, fighting the Vex."

Vance seemed to lean toward him. "Indeed? That is certainly interesting news..." He trailed off, lost in thought.

"So what made you stop being a Guardian?" Harley asked, jolting him out of his trance.

He smirked wryly. "I had my eyes opened, Guardian... Now I follow Osiris, not the Speaker... It's been a long time since I've been back at the Tower. Does the Speaker still speak of Osiris?"

Harley hesitated, mouth thinning as he thought back to his last conversation with the Speaker. Vance seemed to sense his reluctance to answer.

"Am I right to presume that you also have doubts about the Speaker?"

"I don't know if they're doubts exactly. It's just... He seems to keep a lot of secrets." Vance nodded solemnly. Encouraged, Harley continued. "Sometimes I wonder if he really does speak for the Traveler, as he says, or if he's just a big fraud." He fully expected Prism to intercede at these words but strangely enough, she said nothing.

Vance shook his head. "No... He _is_ the one true Speaker... who knows that the Traveler will never speak again."

Harley was startled by this revelation. "What do you mean? How could you know that?"

"My master knew a great deal. He asked many questions, too many for the Speaker's liking. But once he was banished, he searched for answers and found many... What do you know of the Vex, Guardian?"

"Only what I've seen. I fought them on Venus and destroyed the Black Garden on Mars."

Vance leaned back and muttered something to himself, but Harley was only able to hear something about 'Osiris' and 'the one.' Then he raised his voice again, directing it at Harley. "I always believed its location to be a secret known only to the Awoken."

"It is, or was, at least... The Queen told me."

"Ah." Vance nodded. "My master always had... an understanding with the Queen."

Harley knew Vance couldn't see him, but the look he appeared to be giving him made him shift in discomfort. "The Black Garden's gone now, but... I'm worried that something else is gonna happen. Something worse."

"Why is that?"

Harley shrugged. "I just don't think the Vex are finished. There's still a lot about them we don't know... Have you heard of the Vault of Glass?"

Vance nodded emphatically. "Osiris spoke of it often... A place where reality can be bent and the laws of time no longer apply."

"Uh, yeah... The point is, the Vex have a lot more power than I thought. I tried to get the Speaker to take action, to investigate, but all he does is tell me to focus on the 'present' threats."

"That does sound like the Speaker. He has clearly remained unchanged through the years."

Harley nodded. "It's nice to be able to talk to someone who takes me seriously."

Vance nodded again. There was a pause. His next words seemed more absent, as though he was talking to himself again. "...is it coincidence that brings us together, do you think?"

"What?" said Harley.

Vance's head turned toward him again. "Forgive me, I was merely speculating..."

"Ok... Well, I suppose it's too late to speak to the Queen, but I should be getting back to the Tower. I'm supposed to be resting. Thanks for talking with me." He turned to leave but was stopped short when Vance reached out and grabbed his wrist, forcing Harley to look back at him.

"You seek great challenges, Guardian. The Trials will wait for you."

Harley said nothing, but Vance seemed satisfied that his message had gotten across. He let go of Harley's wrist. "Goodbye, Guardian. Remember to keep your eyes open."

"Y-yeah. Goodbye..."

* * *

Harley headed back towards his ship, seeming a bit distracted. Prism didn't blame him. If the meeting with Vance had disconcerted him, that was nothing compared to how _she_ felt. As they'd talked, everything she'd told the Vanguard had run through her mind. She felt more than ever that she'd made the right decision in going to them. At least Harley was on his way back to the Tower now. She'd been worried that his talk with Brother Vance would convince him to go straight to Venus and attempt to find the Vault of Glass. _At least he still has some sense left_.

Still, she harbored a suspicion that her Guardian was merely biding his time until the opportunity presented itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so the Vanguard's concerns have been made clear (or at least the majority of them have). What do you guys think? Could Harley really have been a follower of Osiris? Or are the Vanguard just paranoid? I find it very ironic that this part of the story is coming out right at the same time as the Curse of Osiris expansion. I had this planned from the very beginning, but I didn't think it would line up this well XD. 
> 
> Part Twenty-Seven will be out on Wednesday!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	28. Part Twenty-Seven - Theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"When debate became argument, and argument became acrimony, I realized you had already become a cult of personality, attracting Guardians who wanted a clear idea of why they were fighting, what they faced, and how they would ultimately win." - Grimoire of Osiris**

* * *

 

Prism's shell rotated anxiously as she hovered next to the bed where Harley lay, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world. He _might be able to sleep, but there's no way_ I _can power down now._

Harley's discussion with Brother Vance had shaken her. _This whole Vex thing clearly goes a lot further than I'd thought_.

She felt torn. On one hand, this was the kind of thing the Vanguard would want to know about. On the other, she felt a bit bad about listening in on Harley's conversation and then immediately thinking about reporting on him.

 _I mean, I go everywhere with him, so it's not like I was eavesdropping, but he definitely wouldn't appreciate me going to the Vanguard about this... Then again, he should've known better than to bring that stuff up. Out of all the tense subjects he could have poked into, it_ had _to be Osiris... Come on, Prism! This isn't some moral dilemma! It's better to have the Vanguard know about it now. They might stop him from doing something stupid like trying to find the Vault of Glass._

She glanced back at Harley, who hadn't stirred at all. She sighed. _Ok. I'm going to do it. The sooner this gets done, the better off everyone will be._

She floated over to the door and unlocked it, allowing it to drift open. She pushed through the small gap and set off towards the Hall of Guardians. _I hope they'll still be there._

* * *

It turned out that her worries were all for nothing. As soon as she entered the room, she was met with the tired faces of the three Vanguards. Zavala looked at her wearily, recognition dawning in his eyes. "Hayden's Ghost..."

"Hey! Prism!" said Cayde, "What brings ya? Hope nothin' happened... Usually, no news is good news."

"Well, yes and no. Something _did_ happen, but it's not what you're probably thinking."

"Would I be correct in assuming that this has something to do with what you told us yesterday?" Ikora asked.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Ikora glanced at Zavala, who had pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for a moment. He looked at Prism, lowering his hand. "Continue."

"Harley and I went to the Reef earlier," she began, "He wanted to speak with the Queen about the success of the Black Garden mission."

Ikora nodded. "We received a broadcast declaring the Vestian Outpost open to Guardians early this morning."

Cayde snorted. "Yep. Guess the Awoken've decided to stop actin' like hermits."

"Anyway, Harley decided to explore the Outpost. While we were there, we met many...interesting people. Including a member of the Cult of Osiris." The looks of dismay she received upon revealing this did not help to ease her worry.

"Did Hayden speak to this person?" Zavala asked.

"Yes. They talked for quite a while. He seemed...oddly interested in Harley."

"And what did they talk about?"

"Well, he told Harley a few things about Osiris, or rather Osiris according to the Cult... Harley also asked him about the Vex and the Vault of Glass, as well as the Speaker."

Cayde groaned and Zavala shot him a look. "I assume that this information was more along the lines of propaganda. One would expect the Cult to show a...bias in Osiris' favor."

"Yes, that's what it seemed like."

Zavala nodded. "...It seems appropriate to share with you our concerns as of late," he said, "We have been worried that your Guardian may be following the path of Osiris, whether consciously or not."

Cayde scoffed. "Not all of us agree on that one."

Zavala glared at the Hunter. "Be that as it may, the evidence has become too much to ignore."

"Evidence of what?" asked Prism, "I'm just worried that Harley's too obsessed with the Vex and the Vault of Glass..."

Ikora sighed. "That was how it began with Osiris. At first, he too was concerned with the Vex and their actions and it only escalated from there. He began to dabble in thanatonautics and Ahamkara-lore and chased after rumors of the Nine."

Zavala nodded at her before continuing along the same line. "Osiris' theories and questions started to divide the Guardians ideologically. They turned away from their purpose and began to question things that were best left alone, attempting to learn the nature of the Darkness itself. Many were inspired to lead raids on the Vault of Glass, but none of them returned. Do you understand our concern now, Ghost?"

"...I didn't even think that far in," said Prism.

"Yeah, neither did I," said Cayde, "And you wanna know why? ...'Cause it's _stupid_! Harley wouldn't just go flying off into the blue to find the Vault of Glass!"

"He didn't exactly tell us about the Black Garden, Cayde," said Ikora.

"Yeah but this is different! I know we haven't known him for long, but that doesn't mean he's the follower of some crazy Warlock! ...No offense, Ikora."

"Who's to say he's merely following Osiris' path?" said Zavala in a grave tone.

" _What_? What do you mean by that? You _just_ -" Cayde fell silent and Prism got the feeling that the Zavala had come up with a new theory, one that she didn't think she'd like to hear. Evidently, Cayde had realized the same thing. "No," he said, shaking his head at the Titan, "No way. This is goin' _way_ past crazy! You're not gonna say that one of _my_ Hunters-"

He broke off, too hampered by disbelief to continue. Without uttering another word, he turned and strode out of the room.

* * *

 

Prism watched him go, then spun back to face the other two Vanguards. "What was that about? I didn't think Cayde was one to be struck silent and storm off..."

Zavala sighed. "Not typically, no... But this is not a typical situation."

"But...why _did_ he leave? What theory could be so bad that..."

"I am afraid I gave Cayde the impression that I thought Hayden could _be_ Osiris himself."

Now Prism understood why Cayde had reacted the way he did. She had never had a problem finding words before, yet she hung there speechlessly, trying to find out if the Titan was trying to make a joke. Evidently, Ikora was as well, because she stared at Zavala as if he'd grown a second head. Prism eyed the Titan, hoping to see a hint of something, something to tell her that he wasn't really serious. But he gave no sign of being kidding, he just looked back at her understandingly.

"Wait, you actually _believe_ it?"

He nodded solemnly.

"You think _Harley_ is _Osiris_?"

"We cannot discount the possibility."

"How could that possibility exist?" asked Ikora, "There is nothing to suggest-"

"Nothing? We have heard nothing concerning Osiris for years. Until a few months ago when we sent a Ghost to Mercury, a Ghost who came back with a newly resurrected Guardian... Here's what we know about Hayden: he was found on Mercury at a time when Vex activity was at its height, he has shown a strong interest in the Vex and the Vault of Glass, and from what his Ghost reported, he may also distrust the Speaker."

"He's a Hunter. Osiris was a Warlock," said Ikora, "How do you explain that?"

"He may have changed since his death, but even so, he shows strong Warlock traits."

Ikora tilted her head, considering. "That is true..." she said slowly, "As much as I dislike the possibility, I can see how you...came to that conclusion."

"Well I'm not!" said Prism, "Harley can't be Osiris! He wouldn't- He can't-"

Ikora regarded her with a sympathetic look. "I understand how you must feel, and I'm not saying I completely agree with this theory... But now that Zavala has pointed it out, I think it's something the Vanguard will have to look into... Whether to prove...or disprove."

" _I_ was the one that revived him. The choice was mine. Ghosts are supposed to seek out those worthy enough to become Guardians..." She trailed off dejectedly.

Zavala shook his head. "Hayden was chosen by the Light. We cannot forget that Osiris too was chosen. The fault does not rest with you."

Prism nodded but did not feel any better. "What will we do now?"

Zavala sighed. "For the moment, nothing. This is...a delicate matter. It will take time to discuss. But I must impress upon you not to inform Hayden of our suspicions. It would add further complication to an already complicated situation."

"I understand... If that's all, then I should get back."

Zavala nodded, dismissing her.

* * *

 

Prism sighed as she entered the room, closing the door electronically. She looked at her Guardian. He was still asleep, though now his form seemed different, more sinister than before. Now that the possibility had been brought up, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She had never met or seen Osiris in person, but she had heard enough stories and rumors to last her a lifetime.

She settled onto the dresser, still looking at Harley. The last thought she had before powering down was: _This isn't going to be easy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, be honest... did anyone predict this outcome? (and if you did, let me know because that's impressive as hell) Sorry for the late-ish update. I usually update earlier in the day, but I do have solid reasons. First of all, I was busy playing through the Curse of Osiris campaign (the timing of this still makes me laugh). If you haven't played it yet, I won't spoil anything, but just know that I have never had more fun in a boss fight ;) The other thing I was doing was reading over this chapter to make sure everything was good for the 'big reveal.' Anyway, enough of that. 
> 
> S/o to wordghost for the comments! (I know I already replied directly, but I just wanted to say thanks again). I love when people leave comments :D
> 
> Part Twenty-Eight will go up on Saturday!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	29. Part Twenty-Eight - Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Perhaps you are still out there. If this reaches you, I would very much like to speak with you, to hear your theories in your own words." - Grimoire of Osiris**

* * *

 

Harley wondered if he was losing his mind. Lately, it seemed like everyone was avoiding him. Sure, it wasn't like there were that many Guardians at the Tower, but he still felt it. For the past week, all of his exchanges with the Vanguard had seemed either tense or just plain odd. Zavala kept looking at him as though he had some kind of terminal illness that he didn't know about and Ikora eyed him as though he were a puzzle she'd like to solve, but dreaded seeing the completed picture. And then there was Cayde. On the surface, the Hunter hadn't changed. He still cracked endless jokes and teased his teammates, but Harley could tell that something was bothering him. There was an uncertain edge to his tone and he didn't seem to interact with Harley as much as he'd used to.

Even Prism didn't talk to him as much anymore, keeping their interactions to a minimum. All the evasiveness was slowly driving him mad. He'd tried questioning Prism before, but she'd always managed to change the subject. Once he'd even tried pressing Cayde, but got nothing except a laugh and a joke about how paranoia was getting the best of him.

 _Maybe I_ am _losing it. Maybe I'm imagining all of this._ But he couldn't bring himself to believe it. Somehow, he knew that wasn't what was happening. _Maybe they're avoiding me 'cause I'm going stir-crazy. I haven't been on a mission for a while after all._ He was beginning to understand how Cayde felt.

But every time he asked the Vanguard, he was told that there were no current missions that needed to be done. Which he knew wasn't true, because he remained the only Guardian in the Tower... At least, the only one that never went anywhere. He hadn't seen any Guardian ships return over the past few days, so clearly there were still missions going on. He would've taken _patrols_ if it meant he'd get out of the Tower. But there was nothing he could do about it. The Vanguard wouldn't tell him about any patrols on Earth or Mars, and moon expeditions had always been unsanctioned and discouraged according to Prism.

Something else he found confusing was that they had expressly forbidden him from patrolling Venus. He had no idea why, but he knew leaving against their orders wouldn't work since his ship seemed to have been grounded for 'repairs,' though there was nothing that needed them to Harley's knowledge.

He made his way to the Traveler's Walk and sat on the grass next to the pond. He stared across the empty landscape, marveling at the lack of civilization. It was odd not to see the Traveler adorning the view...it was always there when he was in the plaza...a huge white sphere that dominated his vision. But even though he couldn't see the Traveler, he felt the need to address it. He sighed.

"I've...been told that you're a god," he said, "...If that's true, I wouldn't mind some answers right now..."

He paused, hearing nothing but the swish of the wind through the trees. He nodded. "Seems about right. After all, the Speaker's the only one that supposed to be able to talk to you, right?"

Prism picked up on the hint of bitterness in his tone. She decided to make an appearance, hovering in front of him.

He looked at her uninterestedly. "It figures you'd show up now."

She ignored his words. "What's bothering you?"

He sighed. "A lot of things... You're probably not interested."

"Tell me."

"...Why have you all been avoiding me?"

"What do you mean? I talked to you last night."

He shook his head. "Even when you talk to me...it's like you're not really _talking_. And you've been dodging my questions."

Prism sighed. She needed to watch what she said. "I've had a lot to think about... It's nothing you yourself did." While the first part was true, the second part was either mostly or entirely false, depending on how you looked at it. She felt relieved that he didn't pick up on her duplicity and then immediately felt guilty for feeling relieved.

"What about the Vanguard, then? You can't've missed the way _they've_ been acting."

"They have many things to worry about." Again, that was true.

"That doesn't explain why they're not letting me go on missions!"

"They have their reasons," said Prism comfortingly. _She_ knew their reasons, even if her Guardian didn't.

"How do you know? ...Have you talked to them?"

 _N_ _o way to get out of that one_. She looked at the ground, saying nothing.

Harley stood up. "You did, didn't you? Prism, are you the reason they aren't letting me leave the Tower?"

 _What do I tell him? If I say no, he won't believe me. If I say yes, he'll want to know why_. Before she could make up her mind, Harley threw up his hands.

"I can't believe you went behind my back! It's because of what happened last time isn't it!"

Prism froze. _He found out! He knows it's because of Vance and the Cult!_

"You're worried I'll get injured again, like on the Black Garden mission!"

 _What? ...He thinks it's because he got hurt?_ Not believing her luck, she hastened to agree. "Yes."

Harley rolled his eyes. "I'm not a little kid, Prism! I'm a Guardian! I can't just sit here and _not_ help, especially when everyone else is out there risking their lives."

"I'm sorry," said Prism. She tried to put a deeper meaning into those words. She _was_ sorry, after all. She was sorry that he'd gotten mixed up with the Cult of Osiris, sorry that he'd spent so long on Mercury, even sorry that she'd revived him in the first place. _He didn't need this. He didn't deserve it, I don't care what the rumors say._ Above everything else, though, she was sorry she couldn't tell him why. _The Vanguard might think he's the reincarnation of Osiris, but I can't think of him as anything other than Harley, even if their theory is true._

Harley deflated, his anger leaving him. "It's ok. I understand why you did it. If you really don't want me out there yet... I guess I can wait a few more days."

"...Thank you." At least she had more time. So did the Vanguard, even if they didn't know it. She had just bought them a few more days to figure something out.

* * *

"I still don't see why you feel like we gotta tell the Speaker about this."

Zavala looked over sharply. "We have been over this before, Cayde. If Osiris has truly returned, the Speaker must be notified. Osiris used to be his apprentice, after all."

"Yeah, I _get_ that. Thing is, I still don't agree that Harley _is_ Osiris. It just doesn't make sense."

"The evidence against him is quite damning. Action must be taken. We have sat idle for too long... He's been asking questions."

"Yeah. Questions about gettin' outta this Tower. Don't know 'bout you, Zav, but _I_ can sure relate."

"The Speaker is on his way," Ikora interrupted.

Cayde sighed. "Well, no stoppin' it now... Still, I'd like to state again for the record: This is stupid."

"Thank you for your input, Cayde, but this is happening."

Cayde shrugged. "What can ya do?" He retreated to lean against a pillar.

As someone who lived for grand entrances, Cayde was always surprised at how unobtrusively the Speaker could enter a room. For someone so highly regarded by both the City _and_ the Tower, the man was, for all intents and purposes, a ghost. Therefore, it took Cayde a few seconds to realize that he was standing right next to him. With a yelp he would later deny the existence of, he jerked back and nearly fell over. He straightened and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Neither Zavala nor the Speaker paid him any attention. However, the trace of a smirk flitted across Ikora's lips. He gave her a look to say 'You saw nothing' before turning his attention to the Speaker.

"Heya, Speaker... Nice night."

The Speaker merely gave a nod before turning back to Zavala. "I understand there is a matter of importance that requires my attention."

Zavala nodded. "Unfortunately, there is... Allow me to be blunt... We believe that Osiris has returned."

Cayde studied the Speaker for a hint of surprise but was unable to find any, given the mask that covered his face. Even his voice remained at the same steady calm tone as before, though there was a slight edge to it now.

"What has led you to believe this? I should think that were Osiris to return, I would be aware of it."

"We...don't think he's the same person," said Ikora, "Not exactly, at least. Recent...events have lead us to believe that he was...reincarnated."

"I see... Who do you believe him to be?"

Zavala and Ikora exchanged a look. "We believe it to be the new Guardian," said Zavala, "Harley Hayden."

The Speaker's head jerked back, which Cayde figured must be his equivalent of stepping back in shock. He stood there for a while, appearing to be deep in thought. What worried Cayde was the fact that he hadn't spoken against the possibility, and he waited anxiously for his next words. But when he finally spoke, the words were the opposite of what Cayde was hoping for.

"Your concern, while...unconventional, may be justified." Zavala and Ikora's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "When I last spoke to Harley, he seemed quite...intent on pursuing the Vex, despite what I told him."

Zavala nodded. "His Ghost mentioned that as well. But that is not the only root of our concern. According to his Ghost, Hayden has been asking many...unorthodox questions, as well as pursuing information on the Vault of Glass."

Ikora nodded in agreement. "The last time Harley left the Tower he went to the Reef, where he spoke with a member of the Cult of Osiris."

"Yes... I believe I have heard mention of him before... He calls himself Brother Vance. He used to be a Guardian, many years ago."

"Hayden's Ghost reported that Vance showed an interest in him. I'm sure you can see how this, when paired with everything else, makes a strong case against him."

The Speaker nodded. "Indeed... However if he _is_ Osiris, would he not be a Warlock?"

"Exactly what _I_ said!" Cayde chimed in.

"We have taken that into consideration," said Zavala, "I believe his change could be explained by the time he spent dead...and it is clear that while he is a Hunter, he also shows a strong alignment with the Warlock class."

"That is true," said Ikora, "And...we mustn't forget that he was found on Mercury, the same planet Osiris was said to have departed to."

"Yes, Mercury was Osiris' last known location," said the Speaker, "The Ghost finding Harley there aligns with the rest of your theory... If Harley is Osiris reincarnated into a new form, there is a great possibility that he is unaware of who he is."

"Or maybe he's _not_ Osiris and you're all just paranoid," Cayde muttered.

"Osiris' greatest danger to himself and others was his fixation with the Vault of Glass. It was he who persuaded the Titan Kabr to investigate it."

"Kabr the Legionless?" said Ikora in surprise, "I had no idea Osiris had anything to do with that expedition."

"At any rate, Hayden already seems to mistrust you," said Zavala.

The Speaker nodded. "That does not surprise me... I took Osiris in as my apprentice, all those years ago. Yet, I was also the one that exiled him. His theories were often borderline blasphemous, and he diverted Guardians away from protecting the City, instead having them chase down legends and rumors such as the Vault. It was his obsession with the Vex that, in my belief, lead to everything else. It was comparable only to Toland's compulsion with the Hive."

Zavala nodded. "This confirms our suspicions... What course can we take to ensure that this does not end in disaster? He is becoming restless in the Tower, but we are afraid that he may pursue the Vault of Glass."

"I understand... Perhaps I should speak with him. We must determine if he is aware of his...situation."

Zavala nodded again. "I appreciate your concern in this matter. However, it grows late. I believe you will have to meet with him tomorrow at the soonest."

"Very well. I shall return to my study. Perhaps a night's peace shall grant me guidance... Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Speaker," said Ikora.

Cayde watched the Speaker leave. He'd be the first to admit that the discussion had left him a bit less confident than before, but that didn't mean he was changing his opinion. He shook his head. "This thing isn't gonna be kept secret for long. Stuff like this tends to get out."

"What are you saying, Cayde?" Zavala asked.

"I'm tellin' ya that sooner or later, that kid's gonna find out we've been talkin' 'bout him and it ain't gonna be pretty."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a whole lot of fun writing this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. If you were Harley, how would you react if you found out everything that's being kept from you? Oh, and once again, many thanks to wordghost for the comment. Nothing inspires me like reading comments on my story :)
> 
> Next part will be up on Wednesday!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	30. Part Twenty-Nine - Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"I have word that Osiris was seen on Mercury. The Caloris Basin. He's turned his mind back to the Vex." - Grimoire of Saint-14**

* * *

 

Prism refrained from sighing as she floated along next to Harley. It had been two days since their discussion and although Harley seemed more upbeat, she felt like she was slowly being crushed by guilt. She knew that Harley would be expecting to get out of the Tower soon, and there was nothing she could tell him to explain why that wouldn't happen.

She was aware that the Vanguard had told the Speaker their theory and that the Speaker wanted to talk to Harley. The only reason he hadn't yet was because she'd been blocking his transmissions. Although she had been the one to bring the Vanguard - and by extent, the Speaker - into the situation, she was pretty sure that a talk with the Speaker was something Harley neither needed nor wanted. Still, she knew it was only a matter of time before the Speaker sought Harley out on his own and when he did, she would have to explain to Harley what had been going on.

He was more chipper today than usual, having received word that Rae would be returning to the Tower that afternoon. He kept talking about asking her to join him on a Venus expedition. When Prism asked him where she got the answer she'd both expected and dreaded. Harley wanted to find and explore the Vault of Glass. He already had some idea of its location: Ishtar Sink, somewhere between the Shattered Coast and the Waking Ruins, and he was determined to foil the Vex's plans.

"We just gotta find it," he said as they walked, "Getting inside will be the easy part. Then all we have to do is fight our way through, find what the Vex are hiding."

"You _are_ aware that Guardians have tried that before?" said Prism, "One is presumed dead and the other two _are_ dead." But this did not have the effect she'd hoped for.

" _Pahanin_ made it out," he said firmly, "His death was unrelated to the Vault - he was killed by Dredgen Yor."

Evidently, Harley's time in the library had paid off more than she'd thought. "Yes, but the Vault drove him mad, or near enough."

"You think I'm gonna let that happen to me? I can handle myself, Prism. I know what my limits are."

Prism would have liked to think he was joking, but she could tell that he actually believed it. "What makes you think you can do what three Guardians together couldn't?" she demanded, "It's a _suicide_ mission, Harley."

"I won't be alone! I'll have Rae with me!"

"And what if she says no and tells you it's a stupid plan because it _is_?"

He rolled his eyes. "Have a little faith Prism. Besides, even if she doesn't wanna join-"

"You'll what? Take on the Vex by yourself?!"

"Why not?! It's not like anyone else was there on Mercury!"

Prism groaned. "The fact that you're so determined to get yourself killed is what makes me think the Vanguard were right to keep you here in the first place!"

Harley stopped dead and turned toward her sharply. " _What_?"

She froze, wishing there was a way to delete her words. "Um, nothing." Harley's eyes narrowed and Prism knew he wasn't buying it.

"The _Vanguard_ are keeping me here?! I thought you said it was _you_. _You_ didn't want me getting hurt again! That's what you said!"

"Ok...that may not have been...entirely true."

"Then what _is_ the truth? 'Cause I'm getting pretty tired of all these lies!"

Prism sighed in defeat. There was no way to make this go away now. "The truth might not be something you'd like to hear."

"I don't care! If the Vanguard are preventing me from going on missions, I deserve to know why!"

She sighed again. "...You're right." Harley's anger left his face, he looked stunned. "You _do_ deserve to know... The Vanguard shouldn't have kept it from you... _I_ shouldn't have kept it from you..." Harley waited expectantly. Prism knew that once she told him, there would be no going back. She had no idea how he'd take the news. "Before I tell you, it's probably a good idea to find someplace to sit. This could take a while."

Harley nodded. "I have somewhere in mind." He strode off across the plaza. Prism raced to catch up, following him up a flight of stairs onto a small platform above the entrance to the North Tower. Harley sat against the wall, facing her. He settled back against it and raised an eyebrow. "...Well?"

She sighed. "It's best if I start at the beginning... Did I ever tell you what I was doing on Mercury?"

Harley frowned. "I think you mentioned it once... You were looking for something, right?"

"That's partially true... I was looking for some _one_. The Warlock Osiris." She watched his face carefully but could determine nothing from it. No reaction, positive or negative, had occurred.

"Brother Vance talked about him... Who is he?"

"Where do I _start_? ...Most of the information on him is speculation, assumptions, nothing very concrete. That said, I'll start with the things I know are true... Osiris used to be a Vanguard, many years ago. The other two Vanguards at the time were Saint-14 and Andal Brask, who was Cayde's mentor and friend."

"What happened to them? The old Vanguards?"

"I'll let Cayde tell you about Andal... We'll get to Saint-14 later. However, Osiris was exiled sometime after the Battle of Twilight Gap."

"What's the-"

"If I get into the backstory of _everything_ , we'll be sitting here for the next hundred years."

"Sorry... Go ahead."

"Anyway, he was exiled by the Speaker because he had become dangerously obsessed with the Vex."

"He was exiled for _that_? Isn't understanding your enemies a good thing? Why would he be exiled for the pursuit of knowledge? Especially if he was a _Warlock_?"

"It went beyond that. Like I said, he was _obsessed_. After he was exiled, he developed a cult of followers... We've met one of them."

"Yeah, Brother Vance... But I don't get it. What does all this have to do with _me_?"

"I'll get to that. Anyway, the Cult established an outpost on Mercury, which was the last place Osiris had been seen. They called it the Lighthouse."

"Does that mean there might've been other people that could have helped us on Mercury?"

"No. I told you this, remember? They abandoned it years ago... Anyway, this is the point where the facts become a bit blurry. Years ago, there was a faction called the Concordat who claimed that Osiris was a Golden Age experiment that his Ghost had mistakenly revived as a human. Nonsense, of course. His friend, the Titan Vanguard Saint-14, was the one who called for Osiris' appointment to the Vanguard. The Speaker went along with it and even took Osiris on as his apprentice."

"The Speaker had an apprentice? Weird."

"Yes. And Saint-14 was his adopted son."

" _What_?"

"Not important right now... Basically, Osiris' madness became evident sometime after he was appointed Vanguard Commander. He asked too many loaded questions: 'How much of a Guardian's personality and memories are true? How much is fabricated by their Ghosts? Has the Traveler manufactured all Guardians into living weapons?' etc. You can understand why asking those kinds of questions is dangerous." Prism paused, looking at Harley pointedly. But he didn't seem to pick up on what she was hinting, as he merely motioned for her to continue. "...Anyway, it only got worse from there. He dabbled in thanatonautics - when Warlocks kill themselves to induce visions - and Ahamkara-lore, amongst other things."

"I still don't understand why they'd exile a Guardian for that."

"Well, it's been said that the biggest reason for his exile was that he'd been dividing Guardians - splitting them along ideological lines. He inspired them to neglect their duties in pursuit of other things. In fact, he was the one who convinced Kabr to explore the Vault of Glass." Harley perked up, looking interested. Prism tried to ignore his reaction. "His followers called him a visionary. They said he was exiled because the Speaker saw him as a 'philosophical threat to the establishment that needed to be removed.'" She paused to let the information sink in. "So that's the backstory."

"Wow... That's...a lot to take in... But how does that have to do with why you were looking for him?"

"As I mentioned, and I think Vance said before, Osiris retired to Mercury after his exile. Sometime later, Saint-14 was sent there to look for him... He never returned. Both he and Osiris have been presumed dead for a while now. Once in a while, though, rumors pop up. I was sent to Mercury to investigate one such rumor."

Harley nodded. "I see now... But how does all this Osiris stuff connect to _me_?"

Prism sighed. This was the part she'd been dreading. "There's no easy way to say this Harley... You've been worrying the Vanguard for a while."

"What? How?"

"Asking questions...chasing after the Vex and the Vault of Glass..."

"Yeah, so?"

Prism sighed. "This is a lot harder than I thought... I'll just lay it all out. You've been pretty...obsessed with the Vex lately, wanting to investigate the Vaultâ€¦ And when I went to Mercury to find Osiris...I found _you_ instead."

Harley stared at her for a full minute, not moving or blinking. Prism grew concerned. She was about to break the silence when he burst out laughing. This was so far from the response she'd expected, she drifted backward in surprise. Harley kept laughing, borderline hysterical. Then, his laughter slowly began to drain away.

"Wait... You're saying the Vanguard think I'm _Osiris_? Like, they _actually_ believe-"

"Yes. They do."

"...What the hell?! Just because I want to make sure the Vex won't come back and destroy us doesn't mean I'm suddenly some crazy Warlock!"

Prism remained silent, waiting for him to come upon the inevitable truth.

"...Besides, how could they know about any of that stuff unless..." He trailed off, regarding her with a look of realization. "Unless _you_ told them..."

Prism wanted to disappear under her Guardian's gaze. Harley stood up abruptly, looking at her as if he wanted to say something else. Instead, he whirled away wordlessly. Prism watched as he stood there with his hands on the railing, his back to her. His knuckles whitened on the metal bar, fists clenching so tight that Prism expected to see the rail give way under his fingers. He spun back towards her. She was taken aback by the rage and hurt present on his face. His hands lifted briefly, spasming as if to in some way express the emotions boiling inside him. Then he dropped them back to his sides.

"Harley-"

He held up a hand. " _Don't_. Just... I don't want to hear it right now." He stalked past her without another word.

She watched him until he got to the stairs, then she vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, the secret's out now. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for this weekend before seeing how this all plays out. Anyway, big thanks to the unnamed guest who left kudos as well as wordghost once more for being the real MVP :)
> 
> Part Thirty out this weekend!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	31. Part Thirty - Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Harmony within, hurricane without." - Grimoire of the Stormcaller**

* * *

 

Never had Prism felt so much like a literal ghost before. She had been spending the past few hours incorporeal, not speaking a word to Harley as her Guardian worked through the various thoughts and emotions whirling through his mind.

Not that he'd spoken to her either. It was easy not to acknowledge someone's presence when you couldn't see them.

 _That's what makes it harder... I can see him._ She had never felt so utterly miserable in all her years being a Ghost. She was surprised the guilt hadn't corroded her insides yet, it felt like it should. She wanted to talk to Harley, to apologize to him, but she knew that would just make things worse. He needed time to come to terms with what he'd learned. Prism remembered how _she_ had felt when the Vanguard revealed their suspicions to her. For Harley, it must have felt a thousand times worse, and he didn't even hear it from the Vanguard themselves. _The worst way to hear bad news is from an alternate source._

Prism wondered why the Vanguard had jumped so fast to the conclusion that Harley was Osiris. She knew there were similarities between them, after all, it was due to her concerns the Vanguard had even formed their theory in the first place, but she had never considered the idea that Harley and Osiris were the same person. _Perhaps they_ were _paranoid_ , she thought, _After all, rumors about Osiris had cropped up recently, and they've always been under a lot of stress, even more so with new Guardians not being found and the factions pressuring them._ All things considered, she could see why they might have made the leap.

Harley shifted, and she returned her attention to him. His fingers drummed against his knees with an agitated energy as he stared at the grass in front of him. Whether he sat or paced, Harley hadn't left the Traveler's Walk all day. For once, Prism was glad the other Guardians were off on missions. She didn't know how Harley would react to being questioned. Even so, it was worrying to see him just sit there. He hadn't even tried to find Rae, seemingly forgetting about the Warlock in the face of what he'd learned. Prism knew he'd eventually reach his limit and get tired of sitting there. He _was_ a Hunter, after all. She just hoped that whatever he did after that wouldn't end poorly.

As if on cue, Harley suddenly rose, striding off in the direction of the plaza. _Well, whatever he's going to do...it's happening now._ She tried to talk to him as he headed past Xander and down the first flight of steps. "Harley..."

He ignored her and descended the second flight, then went around the right side of the partition to the third flight.

She appeared next to him. "Harley, what are you going to do?"

He didn't answer, but Prism had a pretty good idea. _He's about to confront the Vanguard_.

She wasn't sure how well that would go over with them.

* * *

 

Harley entered the room and stormed toward the Vanguard's table. Prism saw them look over and take in Harley's aggressively quick steps and tense shoulders. She saw the realization in Ikora's face appear a second before Zavala's. They knew, or guessed, why Harley had come. She looked at Cayde, but being an Exo, his face was much harder to read. Harley came down the last few steps, then stopped at the end of the table across from Ikora. The Vanguards' eyes had never left him the whole time.

"Hayden," Zavala acknowledged, "What brings you here?"

Prism floated a bit closer to Harley. She liked to think that she was giving him a sense of solidarity, but she knew that after their argument, he probably wasn't feeling anything past anger and betrayal. In truth, she was curious. She'd never seen her Guardian become truly angry with another person. She wondered if he'd handle it the same way he had with her. _Probably not_. _That was more personal. I am his Ghost, after all._ Prism saw Harley take a breath. It looked like he was trying to calm himself down, but she knew better. She could tell it was just an act.

"A lot of things brought me here," said Harley in response to Zavala's query. "The stairs, the pathway, my feet... I could list more, but what really _brought_ me here was the need for _answers_."

"Answers to what?" Ikora asked.

Harley gave a humorless laugh that made Prism wince. She wasn't the only one either.

"So, _so_ many things. Why I wasn't allowed to go on missions... Why everyone's been acting like they've been at my funeral for the past week... But most of all..." Harley looked at Prism. "I'd like to know why my own _Ghost_ didn't tell me that _you_ all thought that I was the _Warlock Osiris_."

Prism's shell rotated and she looked down. Harley returned his accusing stare to the Vanguard, who all seemed to be in various stages of shock.

Zavala looked back at Harley, eyes hardening. "You presented a threat to the Tower's security," he said, "After certain _behaviors_ of yours were brought to our attention...we acted in the best interests of the Tower and the City-"

"The _Tower's_ best interests are making sure that the Guardians do everything possible to protect the City and stop the spread of the Darkness," said Harley fiercely, "That would mean having _every_ Guardian in the field... I don't understand how you could keep this from me!"

"Harley, as much as this pains me to say, there is a reason we don't let our _enemies_ know our plans," said Ikora, "...You were thought to be a potential threat."

"Well clearly, I'm _not_ Osiris, and that's something I shouldn't have to be saying. Yeah, I was found on Mercury, but tons of people died there. I'm 'obsessed' with the Vex because from the moment I was revived, I've had to fight them to stay alive and the best way to defeat your enemy is to understand them first."

Zavala frowned. "Be that as it may, those were not the only...indications."

Harley rolled his eyes. "Don't even bother bringing up my 'questions' as evidence. Believe it or not, Warlocks haven't cornered the market on curiosity."

Zavala opened his mouth, most likely to argue his point further, but Cayde cut him off. "Ok, listen. You two are gonna talk each other in circles, so let me just say that I was never on board with this whole Osiris thing."

"Well, you sure showed it," said Harley sarcastically. Cayde cringed at the bite in his tone. Harley turned back to the other two Vanguards. "Just for the _record_ , I was not, am not, and will _never_ be Osiris. I hope you remember that in the future."

With that, he turned and strode out of the room, leaving three guilt-ridden Vanguard behind.

* * *

 

Harley was sitting next to the railing by the entrance to the North Tower when he heard a voice.

"There you are Ace! I've been looking for you. Was it something I did?"

He looked up and saw Rae standing in front of him. He gave her a wry smile. "No, sorry about that. I was gonna look for you earlier but I got sidetracked."

She snorted. "Yeah. You 'was gonna'... Look, I'm not into the 'touchy-feely,' but even I can tell something's bothering you."

Harley laughed. "Is it that obvious?"

"It didn't exactly take a genius... Wanna talk about it?"

Harley shook his head, still smiling slightly. "It's fine."

"Well, you're gonna talk anyway 'cause this is a lucrative offer. I don't like listening to people's problems."

Harley sighed. "Fine." Rae nodded and sat down across from him. Harley eyed her for a second, wondering how she'd take it. He decided to just go for it. "So basically, the Vanguard thought I was the 'reincarnation of Osiris.'"

Her eyes widened. "No shit?"

"Nope."

She whistled. "How come?"

He shrugged. "Lotta things. Prism found me on Mercury... I'm 'interested in the Vex'... I ask lots of questions."

"Wow... And they didn't tell you about it?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I found out from my Ghost...and get this... _she_ was the one who started it."

"Damn. You angry?"

"Yeah. Not as much now, but yeah."

Rae was silent for a few seconds. She looked as though she wanted to say something but wasn't sure how he'd react. "...Look man, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you should blame your Ghost."

"Why not? If it weren't for Prism talking about me behind my back-"

"Yeah. I get why you're mad. But just try and think about it from her perspective. I mean, you're her Guardian. She wouldn't do anything to hurt you. She was probably just worried about you."

Harley nodded. "I guess I can see that... Doesn't mean I'm gonna forgive her yet, though."

"If you can see where she's coming from, that's good enough for me. Understanding is what leads to forgiveness." She slapped him on the shoulder, then rose to her feet. "I gotta get going. Torelli's making me fill out the mission reports. See ya later, Ace." She started walking away.

Harley stood up. "Yeah. I'll see you... Thanks, by the way."

"Don't mention it!" she called over her shoulder. When Harley laughed, she turned around, still walking. "I mean it, Ace. Word gets out. So if I end up as some kinda group therapist, I will _find_ you."

Harley wanted to laugh again, but something in her tone stopped him. _I think she's being_ serious _._ His smile fell, causing Rae to smirk. She spun back around and continued on her way.

Harley thought about what she'd said as he made his way to the mess hall. As frustrated and betrayed he still felt, he could understand why Prism had done it. He frowned to himself. Now would be a good time to talk to her about it... "Prism?" he asked, uncertain whether she'd answer him. But he needn't have worried as she instantly flashed into existence next to him.

"Yes, Harley?"

"I was thinking about...what happened and I think I kind of understand why you did what you did... But I don't get why you didn't talk to _me_ about it."

The Ghost was silent for a couple of seconds. "...Believe me, Harley, I _wanted_ to tell you. My fears just got in the way. I didn't know how you'd take it and I wasn't sure it was something I should have even _been_ concerned about. So I went to the Vanguard to make sure I wasn't going crazy and they understood why I was worried. That just reinforced my certainty not to tell you about it. I know I should have and I'm sorry I went behind your back. I hope you'll believe me when I say it won't happen again."

Harley nodded silently, taking this in. It made sense to him. _I might not forgive the Vanguard, but I think I can forgive_ her _at least._ "I believe you, Prism. I won't apologize for yelling, but I can forgive you."

Prism's shell spun. "Thank you, Harley. I'll make this up to you. Anything you need me to do... I'll do it."

"There's only one thing I want to do now..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Harley decided to forgive Prism after all. However, I suspect his forgiveness of the Vanguard will take a bit longer. Anyway, I'm pretty sure y'all can guess what he wants to do next. I hope you're excited. I'd also like you guys to know that there have been a few people who are interested in seeing Harley deal with D2's storyline. I won't say anything about it now, but I promise it will be revisited at the end of the last chapter. Also, major thanks once more to wordghost! You rock!
> 
> Quick question for all of you: Are you guys excited for the return of the Dawning? What are you looking forward to most about it?
> 
> P.S. As we've just entered our holiday break, I have hella time on my hands now. Therefore, you can expect Part Thirty-One out earlier than usual :3
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	32. Part Thirty-One - Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"Those who delve deep into the Vault of Glass have seen time itself torn asunder. Awestruck Ghosts report encounters with ancient Vex, their casings built long before the age of humanity." - Grimoire of the Sol Primeval**

* * *

 

Harley's foot tapped rapidly against the floor as he stared at the plate in front of him. Normally, everything on it would have been gone by now, but he could find no appetite in him today.

He glanced at the doorway for what must have been the twentieth time in the past five minutes. No one was there. His foot tapped faster. He imagined each tap was the ticking of a clock. _Tip-tap. Tip-tap._ He looked. No one. _Tip-tap. Tip-tap. Tip-tap._ It was so quiet in the room that ordinary sounds became deafening. He heard the clink of the ice cubes in his glass as they melted, touching together for a split second, just enough to interrupt his _tip-taps_. He looked again. "Gah!"

He flinched into the table, catching his elbow on the drink and sending a wave of liquid flowing across the table and cascading off the opposite side. He glared at Rae. "Don't do that!"

She smirked at him and set her plate down on his side of the table. She slid into a chair and began to eat. Harley stared at her in exasperation. She looked over at him. "Don't look at _me_... _I'm_ sure not cleaning that up."

Harley rolled his eyes, then stood up and grabbed some napkins, laying them on the spill. "So where's Bazzle?"

Rae shrugged disinterestedly. "Not my day to be in charge of him."

Harley scraped the sopping wet napkins together and tossed them in the trash. "Isn't he your fireteam leader?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So that'd mean you're never in charge of him."

"Semantics."

Harley's brow furrowed as he sat back down. "What's that mean?"

It was Rae's turn to roll her eyes. She muttered something about 'never having this problem with a Warlock.'

"Oh well _excuse_ me," said Harley, "I'm sorry you don't think my simple Hunter brain is up to understanding a word."

"I wouldn't say _all_ Hunters have simple brains. Just you, Ace... Anyway, what I meant was that most Warlocks round here would already know that word. I'm not used to having to define words, so don't bother asking. Just be glad I don't use words like 'postulate.'"

"Get out. No way anyone actually says that."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Wanna bet? You haven't met the other Warlocks round here."

"Whatever... Look, I wanted to ask you something..."

"Hayden, I swear... if you ask me out I will drop you off this Tower, so help me-"

"What?! No! Nothing like that!" Harley's face was beet red. "I just wanted to know if you'd like to scout the Vault of Glass with me."

"Oh...hmm. Could be interesting. You know where it is?"

"I don't know the exact location, but it's somewhere around the Waking Ruins."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I've read about the Vault of Glass. Not that there's much on it. Some stories about Guardians disappearing from time."

Harley nodded. "Kabr and his fireteam. Supposedly, they went into the Vault and were removed from time by the Vex."

"Then I'm sure the Vex'll be thrilled to remove _us_ from time as well if we go in there."

"Not if they don't know we're there. I've given this more thought. We aren't going there to attack the Vex. This is supposed to be a scouting mission. We get in, poke around a bit, get out. They won't even see us."

"What makes you so confident we can avoid them?"

He shrugged. "I spent two months avoiding them on Mercury. How hard could it be?"

"Oh great. You like to jinx yourself. Anything else you wanna tell me?"

"No, that's about it. You on board?"

"Well... I know the Vanguard would kill for information about the Vault of Glass. As long as we're not going two-Guardian army on the Vex, I'm down."

"Great. What do you say we leave tomorrow?"

Rae shrugged. "Fine with me."

"What about Bazzle? If he's your leader, wouldn't he want to know about-"

"Trust me, what Torelli doesn't know, won't kill him. He's a big fan of going by the book."

"Gotcha. How about we meet at around 8:30 tomorrow? Leave at 9, maybe."

Rae stood up. "Sounds good. I'll see ya then, Ace."

"Bye Rae."

She made her way out of the mess hall, leaving Harley sitting alone at a slightly damp table. "Well, that _could_ have gone worse."

"Looks like you won't be going on your death trip alone after all," said Prism as she appeared in front of him.

"I told ya it would work. You owe me 100 Glimmer."

"Ghosts don't need money. You basically just lost a bet with yourself."

Harley rose from his chair. "Hey, I _won_ that bet, thank you very much."

Prism followed him toward the exit. "Whatever you say... Are you going to tell the Vanguard where you're going?"

"You kidding me? _Hell_ no. I'm not about to go and ask people who thought I was a crazy Warlock for permission to go to the place that Warlock was known for being obsessed with. 'Sides, we _both_ know the Vanguard would never allow a mission to the Vault of Glass in the _first_ place."

Prism sighed. "That is true enough. They would not have let any Guardian go, even when we were at full strength."

Harley frowned. "Yeah... I've been meaning to ask about that... Does anyone have any idea what stopped Guardians from being revived?"

"There's nothing physically wrong with the reviving _process_ ," said Prism, "It's just been much harder for Ghosts to _find_ anyone with enough Light left in their soul. While it was not exactly _common_ before, it pretty much stopped altogether about six years ago."

Harley nodded. "I see. And there wasn't any reason for it to stop?"

Prism shook her head. "There was no indication that anything was wrong... Except..."

"Except what?"

"...Some of us noticed that the number of Darkness Zones had increased around areas like the Cosmodrome and the Ishtar Academy."

"Do you think it could've been the Darkness?" said Harley, "Maybe it wanted to stop the Traveler from making more Guardians to defend itself."

Prism shuddered. "That's certainly a terrifying thought to consider. But I found you, so that must count for something. Maybe things will go back to the way they were."

"Yeah, maybe," said Harley doubtfully, "...Well, no use dwelling on it. I got bigger fish to fry right now. We need to prep to leave for the Vault of Glass."

"How will we do that?"

"First things first: I gotta get Amanda to sign off on my launch for tomorrow."

* * *

Amanda was welding when Harley and Prism entered the Hangar. She seemed to be working on one of the older Phaeton models. At the sound of their approach, she shut off the blowtorch and moved her goggles, letting them dangle around her neck.

"Hey there!" she called out cheerfully, "How are things goin' for ya, Ace?" Harley gave her an incredulous look, causing her to laugh. "Talked to your Warlock friend yesterday," she said with a wink, "Anywho, what brings you here?"

"Came by to check in on the Star," said Harley, "How's she doing?"

"Well, the repairs're all done. To tell you the truth, there wasn't much to repair in the first place, but the Vanguard insisted. You plannin' on flyin' somewhere?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow, actually. Rae and I are going on a mission to Venus."

"Well, I don't see a reason why not to sign off on that," said Amanda, "If you'll just wait right there, I'll have it entered in a jiffy." She crossed to a monitor and began to type. "What time are you two plannin' to leave?"

"Nine o'clock... You wouldn't mind keeping this on the DL, would you? As in, not putting 'Venus' as the official destination?" Harley asked.

Amanda shrugged. "I don't see why not. I doubt you and Miss Korrin are goin' there to join up with the Vex... I'll leave the destination blank for now and you can tell me what you want tomorrow." She chuckled as she finished logging the information, then turned back to face Harley. "All done."

He grinned. "Thanks, Amanda."

She shrugged. "It's just my job."

"Lying on official documents?"

"The lying part's exclusive. Friends only... See ya tomorrow, _Ace_."

He nodded. "Sure thing. Thanks again." With that, he turned and made his way back out to the plaza.

"You know, I'm still not terribly keen on you investigating the Vault of Glass without telling anyone else where you are going," said Prism.

"Surprise, surprise," muttered Harley, "Prism, I won't be _alone_. Another Guardian's gonna be there."

"That doesn't matter if both of you get into trouble. I know you won't talk to the Vanguard, which makes you an idiot by the way, but at least tell _someone_ at the Tower."

"You know perfectly well why I'm not going to the Vanguard. And who else am I supposed to tell? The Speaker? Forget _that.._. You're just worried the Vex'll erase us from time."

"Exactly. And that is something that could actually happen... If you are erased from time, no one back here will remember you, so you won't be able to expect any help if you _do_ get in trouble."

"And that's why the most important part of the plan - aside from not letting anyone else in on the plan - is making sure the Vex don't know we're there. It's an in and out mission, Prism. We're just scouting the place. How long do you really think that'll take?"

Prism sighed. "Looks like I'm not going to be able to convince you otherwise."

"Nope."

She sighed again. "Fine."

"That's the spirit! Besides, if things go wrong, you have the full right to say 'I told you so.'"

"If things go wrong, saying 'I told you so' will be the least of my concerns."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I got this one out a bit earlier. The good news is, I was also able to finish Part Thirty-Two, which will be uploaded tomorrow. Mostly because I want to, but partly in celebration of the return of the Dawning. I'd like to thank the unnamed guest for the kudos and wordghost again for the comment. Much luv <3
> 
> I'm not gonna write a question this time because I don't think there'll be enough time to respond before the next chapter. I'll see y'all tomorrow!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


	33. Part Thirty-Two - Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Legends say that Mercury was once a garden world. Now its surface, baked in the Sun's glare, is honeycombed with forgotten Vex structures. No life stirs here. Not anymore." Or does it?

**"No one can open the Vault alone. I opened the Vault. There was no one with me but I was not alone." - Kabr the Legionless**

* * *

 

Harley ran through his mental checklist for the third time. Despite what he wanted Prism to think, he was a bit anxious about the mission. Sure, he was glad to do anything to thwart the Vex's plans, but he couldn't get the story of Kabr and his fireteam out of his head. Particularly the part about Pahanin going mad. Pahanin had been a Hunter just like him until he'd entered the Vault of Glass. Something had got to him down there and whatever it was, Harley was pretty sure he wasn't ready to face it.

 _It could be worse_ , he thought, _You could be going alone._ He nodded to himself. That was true. At least he'd have Rae there with him. She clearly knew what she was doing better than he did. After all, she'd been a Guardian longer. It would be different having someone there to watch his back. Up to this point, everything Harley had done, he'd done alone. He wondered if the Vault was a Darkness Zone. Probably. It seemed like it would be. Any stronghold of the Vex couldn't be good for reviving Guardians. That was another reason he was glad to have Rae along. Prism had once told him that the only way a Guardian could be revived in a Darkness Zone was if another Guardian was nearby to lend some of their Light. There would never be enough otherwise. _Hopefully, Rae'll be up to it... Ah, who am I kidding? She's more than up to it. She's not a Stormcaller for nothing. Besides, this mission'll be a cake walk. Get in, do some digging, get out._ He checked the time. _Shoot, it's almost midnight. I'd better get to bed. I'm gonna need to be at my best tomorrow._

Harley washed his face, then changed into a T-shirt and sweatpants. He called out into the main room. "Hey, Prism! Did you set an alarm for tomorrow?"

"Yes, it's all done. Now, if you don't mind, I am going to power off for the night."

"Alright! See ya in the morning."

He brushed his teeth, then headed back into the main room. Prism had settled on top of the dresser, eye closed. Harley turned off the light, then got into his bed. He'd thought that he would have trouble falling asleep, but it seemed like his body had other ideas, because he was out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

 

Harley was roused the next morning by a persistent pinging sound. He sat up and looked around for the source, squinting against the light that entered through the slits in the blinds.

"Good. You're awake."

He looked to his left and saw Prism hovering in front of him. The pinging stopped. He yawned. "Wha time izzit?"

"8:02," said Prism, "I've been playing that sound for two minutes."

"Sorry."

"You'd better get ready, assuming you want to eat breakfast this morning?"

He nodded. "I'll be right out."

He headed into the bathroom. By the time he got out, it was 8:15. "I'm ready. Let's go to the mess hall."

Harley was halfway through his plate of pancakes when Rae dropped into the seat across from him. "Guf mornin," he said through a mouthful of pancake. In lieu of words, Rae glared at him and grabbed his coffee. "Why does everyone steal my coffee?" Harley bemoaned.

"You're an easy target, Ace," she replied, "Besides, it's payment. I hate getting up early."

"That I can confirm," her Ghost said, appearing next to her.

Harley tried to remember his name. _Shade? Shawn?_

Rae rolled her eyes. "No one asked _you_ , Shard."

That's _his name! Well, I was close._

"I think I would die of shock if you ever asked me about anything," said Shard, "All you Guardians are the same... Always thinking your opinion is the only one that counts."

"Tell me about it," said Prism, "I might as well not be here for how much Harley listens to my advice."

"You guys can have your book club later," said Rae, "I'm bored. Let's go kill some Vex."

"It's a scouting mission."

"Same difference."

"It's not, though. As soon as we start firing, they'll know that we're there."

"I know. I was kidding Ace. Warlocks know the importance of gathering intel. It's the Titans you gotta worry about. They always wanna charge straight in... Unless they're Torelli. He's boring."

Harley finished off the last few bites of his pancake. "I'm ready. What time is it?"

"8:47," said the Ghosts in unison.

"Ok. We'd better get going. Amanda has us logged for a 9 o'clock launch."

The Guardians stood up and headed for the door. Harley waved Rae ahead of him with a smirk. "Age before beauty."

She replied by giving him a death glare that would scare a Cabal. "If you were twice as smart, you'd still be stupid." With that, she sauntered out the door.

Harley followed her, speechless.

"You brought that upon yourself," said Prism unsympathetically.

"Whatever," he grumbled.

They arrived in the Hangar at 8:53. Amanda waved at them as they entered. "I started to think you'd changed your mind," she said cheerfully as they crossed over.

"Nope," said Harley, "I've been stuck in this Tower long enough."

Amanda laughed. "Cayde keeps tellin' me the same thing. You Hunters are birds of a feather."

Harley chose not to comment on this. "Are we ready to go?"

The Shipwright nodded. "Sure as shootin'. The Star's over on the left. Shadow's on the right."

 _That must be Rae's ship_ , Harley realized. "Great. Thanks, Amanda."

"Don't mention it."

As they went off to their respective ships, Amanda followed Harley over. "You gonna tell me where you want me to say you're goin'?"

Harley shrugged. "Anywhere but Venus, honestly."

Amanda nodded. "Sure thing... Guess I'm loggin' this one as...hmm... How 'bout a Cosmodrome patrol?"

"So you're really not going to tell the Vanguard?"

Amanda shrugged. "I figure if they really wanted to stop ya, they'd've sent me a message."

"Thank you."

"No problem. Just make sure you come back in one piece."

"Will do... I'm ready for transmat, Prism."

"Transmat imminent..."

Harley glanced across at Rae's ship. She hailed him from the cockpit, giving a thumbs up. Taking a deep breath, he put on his helmet, hearing the hiss as it sealed in place. He nodded at Rae. A few seconds later, her engine came on. Harley started his own engine.

"Taking off in 3...2...1." His ship lifted up and he pushed forward on the controls, sending it speeding out of the Hangar and into the open sky. He looked back and saw Rae's ship following close behind. "We're exiting atmo in less than a minute," he said over the comms, "You sure you don't have cold feet?"

" _Nope. My feet are toasty warm,"_ Rae replied.

" _Can Ghosts have cold feet? Because I think_ I _have cold feet,"_ said Shard.

Harley felt a lurch as the Star broke through the last layer of the atmosphere and into cold space. "Preparing to enter warp space... You ready for this?"

" _I bet I'm more ready than you'll ever be."_

"Whatever you say, Rae... Vault of Glass, here we come." 

* * *

**"Until then he would listen, he would observe. He would be the man on the outside looking in, a viewpoint into the consciousness of Minds that spanned galaxies. He would try to understand the Vex." - Grimoire of Praedyth's Door**

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!
> 
> Well my friends, it looks like we have arrived at the final chapter. It's been one helluva ride and I hope you all loved it as much as I loved sending you on it. I know the ending probably left some of you disappointed but fear not! THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL! I've already been working on it in my spare time. I'm not sure when the first part will be up, so I encourage those of you that want to be alerted to follow me on this site. That way, you'll know when I post it. 
> 
> All this aside, I just wanted to thank all of you for being such wonderful readers. I always looked forward to putting out new chapters and seeing your reactions. This wouldn't have been possible without you.
> 
> Lastly, if any of y'all have Twitter and want to follow me for more regular updates on the sequel's progress, my Twitter is ArcaneGlitch. My XBL gamertag is also ArcaneGlitch if any of you are interested in hanging out in Destiny 2.
> 
> For my very last end of the story question: What was your favorite part of HMW and what allowed you to connect with Harley as a character?
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy Dawning!
> 
> \- TheWolfParadox


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